Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 18:52:06 -0700
Reply-To: Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject: Re: Water in starter housing?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I suppose you could pull the thing back apart and use sealant or RTV to try
to make it watertight, but if its condition is that bad inside, you should
probably just save yourself some frustration and replace the thing. I'm as
reluctant to practice 'replacement mechanics' as the next guy (or gal), but
sometimes ya gotta let it go. If it doesn't have a 'drain hole' in it,
there's probably a good reason (I can think of a couple myself).
If you really want some feedback on that particular starter and whatever
happened to it, take it apart and post some pics. We all seem to enjoy
looking at the autopsy photos around here. : )
Cya,
Robert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shawn Wright" <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 6:29 PM
Subject: Re: Water in starter housing?
> Since nobody weighed in on my last post, it seems I may have a unique
problem with
> water in the starter. The bad news is the fix I did only lasted 4 days. I
went to leave the
> inlaws for the long drive home, and it failed to start at the gas station.
I drove 600 kms
> home push starting it, including the ferry trip... :-(
> Tonight I pulled it again, and found yet more water in the darn thing. It
has not rained for
> weeks here, and I didn't even venture much off paved roads on this trip,
so it's a bit of a
> mystery. There wasn't much more water, so I suppose it could have been
residual that I
> did not get out the first time. The other bad news is the oil on the
starter teeth, indicating
> that my new trans input shaft seal is leaking *again*. (I didn't replace
the pilot bearing,
> since it looked fine, and only has 20k on it). I didn't plan on pulling
the blasted trans
> again until I was ready for a diesel swap, so this is a definite bummer.
:-(
>
> On 14 Aug 2004 at 12:37, Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA> wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > Part way through our 3 week trip, the starter in our '88 Westy started
acting up
> > - just an intermittent click every so often, which I assumed was a bad
> > connection somewhere. Then, while enroute from Calgary to Salmon Arm,
the
> > started died completely in the Rockies. Fortunately I was able to push
start it.
> > I checked all the wiring, and was suspected a failed ignition switch,
but it all
> > checked out. I pulled the starter, and found moisture in the end bushing
cap...
> > hmmm. Then I pulled the long housing bolts and was shocked to find about
1/2
> > ounce of rusty water pouring out! The inside was totally corroded - it
was
> > amazing that it had worked at all. I cleaned it all up, put it back
together,
> > but the solenoid wouldn't pull. So I pulled it apart again, including
the
> > solenoid (which was rusty also), put it back, and it worked. :-)
> >
> > I can think of two time when I could have got water in the starter - one
in May
> > while crossing a creek, and one last September, on the same creek. The
starter
> > would not have been submerged, but I supposed water could have entered
the
> > bellhousing and got thrown in that way... Has anyone seen this problem
before?
> > I'm wondering if drilling a drain hole might be a good idea, since the
water can
> > get it, but doesn't seem to be able to drain out.
> >
>
> --
> Shawn Wright
> http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright
> ~This message sent by Pegasus Mail, the safe E-Mail alternative~
> "Friends don't let friends use Outlook"
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