How-to: Rebuild your starter (with pics)

[NobleHops]

OK, I swore I posted this here before but I can't find it. This is from another project I posted on the SOHC site, and the starter is from a 400F, but it should be substantially similar to the CBX starter. Kits including most everything you might need are available all over the place, including eBay, or here:

http://www.motorcityreman.com/streki.html

***

OK, on to the starter. I had no idea of its condition but I was curious to get into one anyway and freshen it up, and I thought I'd replace the o-ring and brushes, and lube it, so I cracked into it.



Crusty carbon-ey stuff in the cap by the brushes.



Brushes themselves were fine, barely 20% worn.



Commutator (copper bit at left) a bit grimy...



Seal at the end totally failed, weird white powdery junk everywhere

[NobleHops]

...Got the starter all cleaned up inside, cleaned the commutator and the magnets, all the contacts...



Ordered a rebuild kit for the princely sum of $18 or something, replaced the sealing o-rings on the body, the oring on the splined shaft, and the failed, seal. Lubed the shafts and bushings, put it back together. Made the executive decision to not fuss with the bushings on either end, they looked fine and the new ones fit no closer to the shafts than the old and they would have been a minor pain to extract. These things see momentary use. Cleaned and greased and free of gritty junk I think this thing will now likely outlive me.








Hooked up a 12v battery, grounded it to the starter body momentarily to test it. Fire in the hole!



Works perfectly. Totally refreshed for $18.

Next!

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Once again another excellent tutorial, Nils.
What is the white crap?
Amazing the things you find. The tach on my Suzuki quit working and the crap inside the cable looked similar to that white debris.

[NobleHops]

Once again another excellent tutorial, Nils.
What is the white crap?
Amazing the things you find. The tach on my Suzuki quit working and the crap inside the cable looked similar to that white debris.

Thanks Steve. No idea what that cakey white goo was, maybe dried up lithium grease? Did Honda use that? These things are stone simple inside, I'll never replace another without at least cracking into it first to see what gives.

N.

[barryadam]

Ya great job Nils. Thanks. I thought I'd seen your write up before as well.

Barry

[Kool_Biker]

Hi Nils, an excellent write up as usual and a very satisfying job at that!
If I may add my 2c worth:
1. Avoid using sandpaper, emery etc. to clean the commutator. Dislodged grind particles from the former will easily bury themselves and stick to the soft copper of the commutator.
In use these can accelerate wear of the soft carbon brushes. It is much better to clean the commutator using a hard cutting tool e.g. on a lathe. The latter, if done properly, will provide the extra benefit of truing up the commutator of the old rotor.
2. Clean the plate that holds the brushes well. Make sure all oxidation is removed from its periphery, where it makes contact with the starter body and back cover. Clean those well too. Finally ever so slightly bend the 3 'tongues' on the plate (your 3rd picture), so these are pushed hard against the body and rear cover when you put everything back together.
All this is necessary to ensure an excellent electrical return path to ground for the starter and can be easily overlooked.
I have surprised myself few times with the difference this attention to detail makes on a cold morning with a less than stellar battery.
Regards

[NobleHops]

THAT is what I'm talking about. Great stuff Aris, thanks for filling in a lot of gaps.