My Starter in Pieces!! Now what?? Please HELP! (Pics included)

[therookie13]

Well, I managed to pull off the starter over the weekend...for starters (haha no pun intended) the wire between the starter and the solenoid was rotted away to nothing. I took it up to Auto Zone and they said that without that wire I wouldn't be able to have it tested. So back to the garage we went and using a little ingenuity and some spare romexx, we soldered a new shiny piece of copper between the two. We hooked up the jumper cables ourselves and got some spinnning action from the starter but I think the solenoid is shot. Someone said that it would be pretty easy to see if the starter had issues by taking it apart and checking out the brushes. So tonight the demolition began. Once inside I realized that I have no idea what the heck I'm looking for...so here are the pics. PLEASE help. Anything look funny to anyone? I also realized that I have no idea what the brushes are so that makes it a little difficult to determine whether or not they are worn. The screws on the solenoid are soaking overnight (broke a few tools and figured I might as well not strip them) So what next?? Thank you all in advance!!!

~Heather

[Roverdoc]

ummm...by a new starter

[delash_81]

that or take what you got to a place that rebuilds starters and they should be able to take care of it for ya. got mine done a while back when doing a head job on the engine, it only cost $50 and starts up the car like a champ.

[therookie13]

Thanks for the advice...i guess my big question now is, how do i know that it's something with the starter? Does anything look out of whack? Thanks again!

[davidz]

pics 4 and 5 are the brushes, 5 is actually the brushes out of the holder as shown in pic 4, i see no problem with the brushes, its a gear reduction starter, pic 7 shows the lil planetary gears, and if that wire between the solenoid and starter was in facto toast,then yes thats a big problem, it delivers the main power to the starter, lil wire is just to activate solenoid , which in turn activates the starter motor. if the motor turned then its possibly okay, the problem could have been that wire entirely.
put it back together and bench test, you dont need atozone for that shit,
jumper cables baby, and presto!

[therookie13]

Hey Davidz! Thanks so much for the identification help! I soldered a piece of copper between the solenoid and the starter, and when I used the jumper cables on the solenoid, nothin. But if I bypassed the solenoid and went straight to the starter that's when it turned. Was I putting the jumper cables on the wrong spot on the solenoid? How then heck do you know this kind of stuff???

[ptschram]

Hook the red jumper to the big lug on the starter motor. Hook the black one to the case of the starter. Using a screwdriver, jump from the big lug with the red clamp to the spade lug. It should spin the motor.

[therookie13]

ptschram- thanks for instructions! I'm going to try and reassemble everything and give it a shot this weekend! So if that works, does that mean my solenoid is ok then?

[smrover1]

My starter wire did the same thing as yours . I went and got a remanufactured one from my local parts store. When I got the starter, I was all happy cause it said LAND ROVER on the starter. I dont know what parts they put in that starter, but it is not the same as my old one. Now it just seems like this starter wont crank as fast or it is dragging ? Could it just need to be shimed?

[ptschram]

Originally Posted by therookie13

ptschram- thanks for instructions! I'm going to try and reassemble everything and give it a shot this weekend! So if that works, does that mean my solenoid is ok then?

If it works, it means you're on borrowed time and should start saving for a replacement.

Consider yourself lucky you got it out without heroic efforts.