A sticky starter motor

[bob hughes]

Just thought that I would like to share a problem with you that I have just suffered over the week end.

I have recently rebuilt the engine some 800 miles ago and it is still tight.

For a few weeks the starter motor has been giving out signs of problems - turning over then abruptly stopping with a screech. Anyway this week end it really started to play up and eventually when trying to start the car there was a real terrible sound coming from the starter motor. - I subsequently found that the engine was driving the starter motor.

I 'got out and got under' and removed the starter motor to find that the teeth on the starter pinion had jammed down hard against the last collar adjacent to the drive end plate. I had to clamp the nut on the end of the armature shaft in a vice and release it with an adjustable wrench.

A light coating of gun oil and I had the thing working as it should, put it back in the car and the engine started first time with a smooth sound from the starter motor, I just hope that there has been no permanent damage.



Bob

 

[mikephillips]

You shouldn't use a wet lube on the pinion and shaft of the starter. What will happen over time is dirt and other engine debris will get caught in it and cause the problem ot reoccur. What you should do is pull the starter and clean the shaft, spring and gear mating surfaces until they slide smoothly over each other. Then if you use anything on them, use one of those dry lubes to avoid creating a surface that will collect contamination and eventually stick again.