Technical Rebuilt Starter

Got a nice selection of Ford starter parts and pieces (fits 60s Six and Y-Block) and figured it wouldn't be a bad plan to have at least one already built up and ready to go just in case. Cleaned up the commutator on a good armature, brushes look great on the end plate, installed new bushings on both ends etc. Should be smooth sailing, right, how tough can this be?

Put everything back together. First thing, it won't turn by hand, and sure enough a fresh battery won't budge it either. What am I missing??

 

Check the end play, there are different thickness fiber washers on the rear end available

 

Yeah, I saw those. They call it a thrust washer. Fiber lookin' deals? One on each end. Hm.

 

Loosen the bolts a couple of turns and see if you can turn it by hand. That should tell you if it is thrust washer thickness.
You didn't by chance mix and match fields and armatures? Meaning that there may be a clearance issue if you don't have the correct armature for the field shoes that are in the frame. I'm not that well versed in Ford starter parts and what works with what as those were never in my wheelhouse as far as rebuilding went. The last time I worked on one was helping a guy fix his when he didn't have enough money to get a rebuilt and brushes and bushings were about 5 bucks at the time.

 

Yeah, I did try loosening the bolts, that didn't help. I think it must be end play though, everything seems to spin nice and free till it's bolted up, I'll have to look at those thrust washers tomorrow. Figured it had to be something like that.

Yeah, at least I got a core if this doesn't work, rebuilds are pretty inexpensive, if a crapshoot.

 

There were some armatures that were different lengths….be sure you matched properly.

 

From memory, I thought there is only a thrust washer on the back. check a schematic.

 

Did the brushes seat properly on the comutator.? Is the armature rubbing against the field coils?

 

Just thinking, if you put new thrust washers on the old armature are you positive that it didn't have one or more old thrust washers on it that you didn't notice?

 

Yeah, I wondered about that. The diagram in the shop manual shows two, I think, but there may have only been one on this armature. I'm playing with a basket of Mix & Match parts. If I only install one, it should go on the commutator side?

 

Everything seems to get along well, I'm resisting going to to the garage and messing with it more tonite.

Hm. That I will have to check, closer than just a calibrated eyeball. Have a brand new armature too, but the shaft isn't drilled for the bendix pin. I wish they wouldn't do stuff like that.

 

Yes, the com end has to have a washer to insulate it from the grounded end plate.

 

You were right - I found a couple on the other end. I messed around with it after removing those two and leaving just the one at the commutator and it's still locked up tight. I'm going to try a different end plate on the bendix side with one that I know has worked before. Almost seems like the nose piece is too long.

I have three armatures and near as I can tell they are identical in dimensions.

While the innards look very clean on this rebuild candidate - while I'm thinking of it - is there a good way, or even a bad way to clean up field coils in dirty generators (and starters)? The manual cautions not to soak them in solvents as it might remove the wiring insulation. I have some old generator cores, one the field coils are oil soaked and the other field coils looks moldy. I wouldn't think naptha or mineral spirits would hurt enamel insulation too bad. Maybe...

 

Okay installed a different drive side plate and with 12 volts applied everything spins up really smooth at a good fast RPM. I could measure unloaded amp draw but I don't know what it should be. The lower the better I suppose. Maybe 50 or 75 amps?

I have this extra bendix drive on it, I remember something something about spooling it up unloaded is supposed to unlock it, that didn't happen. Y-Blocks don't care about this, but is there a way to tell if a Bendix is generally good to go short of installing the starter? Having a serviceable engine starter on hand & ready to swap makes me feel better with winter coming on.

 

To check the bendix, grab it with your hand, and put 12 volts to the starter. If you have no flesh left on your hand the bendix is good!

 

Don't remember ever seeing a fiber washer on the front end of a Ford starter.

 

Take out all of the thrust washers and re-assemble it. Measure how much end float you have and then install a pair of washers (one at each end?) that have a slightly less total thickness.
If it still won't turn without the washers there is another interference somewhere.

 

A feller used to be able to take generators, alternators, & starters in to be bench tested at auto parts stores on a machine. I found a place that still has one, they say can test a starter.

I never paid much attention to these starter testers. Do they put a load on a starter or engage the starter drive something like that, or do they just spin them up? If all they do is spin a starter on 12 volts I probably won't bother with it, almost certain this starter is good to go but installing it on the engine is the only way to know for sure. It spins nice on 12 volts. What surprised me, is the book says they draw 110 amps no load.