rebuilding a starter

[brucejohn]

Who has experience rebuilding a starter? I live far enough away from civilization that a drive to a rebuild shop has me wondering. It seems like the necessary parts are fairly inexpensive, is this something a moderately experienced home mechanic can do?

[gudjeon]

The Lucas starter is fairly straight forward. I take it all apart and use an Ohmeter to check the field windings for grounds. Next use the meter to check the armature for shorts between windings and grounds along the copper strips. If you have access to a lathe, I highly recommend turning the copper contact surface of the armature so it is smooth and true again.

I installed a new brush set. This can be the tricky part as you won't want to melt the field winding insulation. I used a very small torch and used no more heat than I had to to solder on the new brushes. Bushings are remove and replace as needed. One hint I was given by an old hand at this stuff was not to have too tight a fit so it will not bind up in the cold.

Renew any springs that you need to. Tear down, inspect, and order all the stuff you need.:thumb-up: I rebuilt an old lucas starter and I used it in low range to crank the vehicle back and forth in and out of the shop for a while. I punished it and it still works brilliantly five years on now.

[brucejohn]

Thanks gudjeon. I found this document as well http://www.legionlandrover.com/manuales/rebuilding%20a%20land%20rover%20series%20starter%2 0motor.pdf

I appreciate the help, still debating if I want to try this now or plunk down $200+ for a starter by mail.

[yorker]

Go ahead and do it- it isn't hard to do and is far better than spending the $200 on a new one. You can always buy a spare used one cheap and rebuild it then swap it out and keep your original as a spare.

[stomper]

I just picked up my starter from a local rebuilder. Took him about 2 weeks to get it completed, because the nose bushings are NLA, and he had to get a machinist to make up a new on out of oil lite material. Total cost was $165.00, but he also commented that he hates these starters, as they are a very poor design, and the durability is not that great. He recommended I purchase a gear reduction designed starter like the mean green. He called around, and they are selling for $185 in places. He also advised that I make sure the casing is an original Denso casing on the starter. the Chinese reproduced ones are garbage.

Thought I would share this for anyone who needs a new starter.

[yorker]

It might pay to shop around, I don't think I've ever paid more than $60 to have a LR starter rebuilt. The shop I used had a pile of spare cores too.

[DGG]

It might pay to shop around, I don't think I've ever paid more than $60 to have a LR starter rebuilt. The shop I used had a pile of spare cores too.

Where did you have your starter rebuilt? Thinking about having mine rebuilt.
Doug

[yorker]

I had W.J. Rowe on Chestnut street in Oneonta do a couple of them over the years. I think there is a place on southside and maybe one on mainstreet that could have done them too.

If you take it to Rowe's just make sure you give him a clear time table for when you need it done.