Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 22:51:01 -0400
Reply-To: David Bohannan <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Bohannan <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Solenoid-to-starter wire replacement=fixed
In-Reply-To: <C0C1E890.651A%msutts@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Thanks Matt, this is good for the archives I imagine :-)
Dave
On 6/23/06, Matt Sutton <msutts@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> 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
> >
>
--
Dave - KC9FYM
http://fjazzbass.blogspot.com
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