Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

[f4igrad]

The starter was making a small grinding noise when disengaging from the flywheel after starting. I saw on here that some oil on the starter output shaft can clear it up. I sprayed some WD40 on the starter teeth and output shaft and went to the lake. Tried to start the boat and the starter whirred for about 1 second and then nothing. Now it is totally dead, whenever I turn the key all I hear is a clicking noise. I checked the battery (which is brand new) and it is 12.75 volts sitting and 12.6 volts when the key is turned to start the boat. I am getting 12.6 volts at the starter as well (checked the power cable where it screws into the starter). What is going on? is the starter shorted out or is there something I can do to fix this?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

If you were hearing grinding noises in the starter, lubricating the shaft was not a fix. Once the bendix rises there is nothing to grind. Your starter probably has a bad bearing or has simply died. Your local auto electric shop (aka starter/alternator rebuilder) can generally fix it for you much cheaper than buying a new one.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

take the positive sides of a pair of jumper cables. fasten one end to pos battery post, now touch the big bolt with the red wire on the starter. if you get nothing the starter is bad. if the starter engages then we start to back track to what is wrong. post findings.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

just thought of something. after the motor went for the swim, the starter probably was not completely dried out. it is probably toast. this is why we try to keep to the same post, or gaive more info when asking questions, so us old farts don't have to think so much.

 

[OBJ]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Daddy posted: <br /><br />

so us old farts don't have to think so much.

You made me snort my Budwieser you old fart!!!!

 

[f4igrad]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

the motor never went for a swim, you must be thinking of someone else. <br /><br />let me clarify, the starter wasn't making a grinding noise, but after starting the engine up the starter would make a grrrrrrr noise as it disengaged. someone said that the gear was probably hanging up on the flywheel and i should lubricate it, which i did. the starter was getting 12.6 volts at the power cable attached to the side of the starter, so i know it is the starter.<br /><br />i have pulled it off the engine and now have it apart on my living room table. when i pulled it out, one of the brushes just fell out on the table, it had become unsoldered from the wire. i have cleaned up the wire and am going to resolder it to the brush and try the starter out to see if it works. if not, then i have no clue and I guess i will get it rebuilt.<br /><br />can an auto mechanic rebuilt an outboard starter, or am I going to have to pay a marina to do it?<br /><br />Thanks for the quick replies!!!

 

[Lubosleftboot]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Originally posted by f4igrad:<br /> the motor never went for a swim, you must be thinking of someone else. <br /><br />let me clarify, the starter wasn't making a grinding noise, but after starting the engine up the starter would make a grrrrrrr noise as it disengaged. someone said that the gear was probably hanging up on the flywheel and i should lubricate it, which i did. the starter was getting 12.6 volts at the power cable attached to the side of the starter, so i know it is the starter.<br /><br />i have pulled it off the engine and now have it apart on my living room table. when i pulled it out, one of the brushes just fell out on the table, it had become unsoldered from the wire. i have cleaned up the wire and am going to resolder it to the brush and try the starter out to see if it works. if not, then i have no clue and I guess i will get it rebuilt.<br /><br />can an auto mechanic rebuilt an outboard starter, or am I going to have to pay a marina to do it?<br /><br />Thanks for the quick replies!!!

If you have saturated the starter with wd 40 there is the possibility that it might be shorting to earth inside the casing .<br /><br />Just a thought you might want to check

 

[Lubosleftboot]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Just noticed the last part of your last post horse and bolted comes to mind..<br /><br />sorry LLB

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

As your friendly auto parts store who they send the returns to for rebuild. That's who you want to contact...Or just get you some new brushes and do it yourself....

 

[Walker]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Any starter/alternator shop should be able to rebuild it.

 

[f4igrad]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

sorry, what does horse and bolted mean?

 

[Lubosleftboot]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Originally posted by f4igrad:<br /> sorry, what does horse and bolted mean?

Horse has left the stable then I have bolted the stable door.In other words I should have read all of your post before I posted a response f4igrad but it is late here and I am tired dude.

 

[f4igrad]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

is there a way to tell if the brushes have gone bad?<br /><br />i am hoping that it was just a loose connection...the starter had been fine until the last time i went out. The starter motor turned slowly the first time I cranked it and then it turned quickly the rest of the trip. This time it turned slowly for 1 second and then wouldn't do a thing. Maybe the brush lost the connection.

 

[MarkHPCA]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

If it turns slowly at first it sounds like the bearings are worn. If this is so then the motor could overheat or at least the brushes get hot causing them to come loose. Just my 2c anyway.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

see what happens when we think.

 

[f4igrad]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

ok, i cleaned it up and put it back together. can you tell me if it looks like it is correctly assembled? evidently this starter is a bit different than the OEM one, because the assembly is a bit different than my service manual illustrates. it has so many pieces that I don't know if I have the gear in the correct position. Here is a pic:<br /><br />

 

[jdlloyd_iboat]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Looks to be assembled like the picture in my SELOC manual for a Bosch or Prestolite starter motor (they both look very similar and yours appears to be more like a Bosch). The order from the top is nut, cup, spring and pinion. Yours appear to be in order with the nut very loosely started on the threads and I presume you will more fully engage the threads as the pictures I am looking at have the theads fully showing above the nut. Assembly instructions say only to tighten the nut securely and I suspect the rotation of the motor when engaged to the flywheel tends to tighten the nut rather than loosen it. My manual says NOT to use the original nut a second time and to use a new locking nut. What is puzzling is that it also, STRONGLY (that's the way it is printed in the book) advises not to use any type of self-locking nut on the shaft. Seems to me to be contradictory. No explanation of consequence although I suspect the worse that might happen is that the motor will disassemble the bendix drive mechanism iteslf (if that isn't bad enough). Finally my manual says to lubricate the pinion gear and bendix mechanism with a small amount of no. 10 weight oil. I don't have any persoanl experience with disassembling my motor's starter but I have disassembled and reassembled auto starters (and even generators 30 years ago) half a dozen or so times and always have been satisfied after replacing brushes, bendixes and integral solenoids (not applicable to this starter). Happy boating.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

tighten the nut and give it a try. i now remember who you are.

 

[f4igrad]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

ok, i put it back together and it spins fine. however, when i mounted it on the motor it turned the crankshaft counterclockwise (only did it for a second). I believe this is wrong, because looking at the wear on the crankshaft teeth it looks like it is supposed to be spun clockwise. I have no clue how to get the starter to spin it clockwise though. I removed the gear and helix and tried spinning it by hand, but no mattet what orientation, the grooves would only allow the gear to turn in the counterclockwise direction. i even tried flipping it upside down, same thing! I am totally stumped by this.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Help! sprayed oil on starter, now it doesn't work!

Remove it and double check your wiring. All the internal wires attached where they were before? Brushes?? Battery hooked up correctly??