We found that a starter was still attached to the transaxle. So even though I had purchased a replacement and started rebuilding it, I decided to use the one that had been attached. I took it to O’Reilly who tested it for free. It tested good, and seemed in better shape than the replacement.
That said, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Since it was off the car, I thought I should clean it up and repaint it. It has slightly different internals, and I got overzealous taking it apart. Turns out there are 10 bb sized ball bearings in the center. When you release the shaft, boink! There they go. Luckily I had a mat on my workbench and managed to keep them all.
I thought the brushes were shot, so I took it to a local starter and alternator repair shop to see if they’d replace those for me. I didn’t have the parts, and am not confident in my soldering skills. He said the brushes were fine, despite one of them being chipped. Though he smiled and said I’d have fun getting the ball bearings in. He would do it for me, but it would be such a PITA that he’d probably have to charge me more than the starter is worth. His advise, was A. Don’t lose a bearing! B. Use some thick grease to hold them in the holes while you hold down the flange which is being forced up by a spring. He said he’d tried many approached over the years, and this was the best option. Be prepared to walk away out of frustration and try on another day. Sounds like fun!
He also pointed out that my paint job was coating some spots that need metal on metal contact for ground. That was easy to rectify, but I would not have thought of it without his input. Thank you for the advice Henry!
Up early on a Tuesday so I thought I’d give the bearings a shot. Fully prepared to walk away and try again in the evening. I used high-temp bearing grease. It worked like a charm first try, despite my clamp slipping off and shooting the flange across my garage! Nice way to start the day.
