Date:         Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:50:56 -0400
Reply-To:     Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Solenoid-to-starter wire replacement=fixed
In-Reply-To:  <C0C060DF.64EC%msutts@earthlink.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi folks,

Well, figuring I'd still have the starter core if it didn't work, I went
ahead and tried to repair the broken wire.

I used big audio speaker wire (imagine extra heavy duty lamp cord), and used
both strands- probably adding up to the size of cheap jumper cable,
conductive mass wise. The field coil connection inside the starter was
indeed not desolderable by conventional means; I drilled a 1/8" hole to
create a solderable joint and then used shrink tube to cover it. The grommet
coming out of the case took some modifying, but I was in the clear once I
got all that wire through.

The van started immediately, which was pretty gratifying. I stopped it, and
started it again; all good. No idea if it will last, but I figure I'll keep
an eye on it for the next few weeks while I'm doing local drives.  If I get
nervous about it, I may pick up a spare to have on hand. But if the new wire
can do the job, perhaps I've bought more time on this starter/solenoid
having cleaned and lubed it while the work was being done. The brushes
looked good; I'm pretty sure this was already rebuilt at some point.

The Bentley/Haynes/Muir combo got me through the taking apart and putting
together. If I had to do it again, it would go much quicker for sure; I'd
never been inside a starter before. Perhaps it like any other electric
motor, I'm not sure, but it was really beautiful to look at.

Thanks for everyone's help, as always.

Matt Sutton
88 GL
Brooklyn NY

 on 6/22/06 2:59 PM, Matt Sutton at msutts@earthlink.net wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> On a trip to Philadelphia the other day, the van refused to start or even turn
> over after a rest area stop. Tried jumping it, even though there were 12.5
> volts at the battery, and got nothing. Eventually we got it running with a
> push start, with help from some repo guys who were towing the truck next to
> us.  The next day I found the short wire from the lower solenoid terminal to
> the starter to be corroded beyond repair; it just crumbled as I tried to clean
> it.
> It seems like the solenoid is still functional (it clicks when I try to
> start), so maybe I really just need to replace that wire that terminates
> inside the starter motor. Looking at the Bentley, it seems like the wire feeds
> the field coils of the motor. Can this repair be done? Has anyone done it? Any
> educated guesses about what gauge wire to use, things to check/worry about
> while the starter's apart, etc. would be much welcomed.
>
> Van info: 88 Gl, manual trans, approximately 220k on the original engine,
> though by the look of it the starter may be a rebuild.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Matt Sutton
> Brooklyn NY
>