Anyone still rebuilding starters etc?

[Cranky]

Used to be a place about 15 miles away that did good work and for a decent price but they ain't there anymore and the places around here now charge as much as buying a 'new' recon starter so, sprung for one off of Amazon from DB Electrical. They have a decent rep it seems but well, we'll see. 115 bucks and a complete rebuild kit was 90 so why bother....? Yeah, it's for my diesel. When I got it off (that was a royal pain), the motor was loose on it so tightened it up and that didn't make any difference. Been looking for the original as it still worked and had always intended on fixing the contacts that triggered the FSS because the starter still worked fine but so far, can't find the dang thing.....and NO, one of the things I've never done is rebuild a starter lol!

 

[dadsbee]

Still got a guy about a mile down the road with an old school starter/alternator repair business that he took over from his Father. Last time I had him do an airplane starter it was a whopping $68 bucks.. new bendix and all.

 

[bm02tj]

Finding some one with a growler to test windings and know how to use it

 

[Don Frelier]

My Uncle was a master at rebuilding starters, alternators and magnetos.
He did hundreds of them and when they were finished they were better than new.
Unfortunately he is no longer with us Parkinson's made his last years painful.
He was a Korean war Vet and had great charm and wit.
I miss him still part of the reason I enjoy working on old cars.

 

[pnora]

For shops that do rebuilding they will tell you there is no money in it. The aftermarket has flooded the market with low priced complete starters and alternators. I have a local guy/friend that prefers to do magnetos and rare hard to find starters and alternators. He says there is more money in them and he does a lot of his work with customers in other countries. He says he cant even supply the proper quality parts for a rebuild let alone the labor. He wont compromise with cheap Chinese junk parts and putting his name on the job. I buy some small parts from him if I repair one. Another thing is reliability of these new starters compared to years ago. Ball bearings vs bushings is the main part of these starters lasting. My Cummins starter at 130,000 just needed 10.00 worth of solenoid contacts and will go another 130,000. Back in the 70" and 80"s we rebuilt them all the time. We had a big inventory of repair parts. Once the Bosch and Nipendenso hit the production line our work dropped about to zilch and the parts became dead inventory.

 

[coronet68mx]

Rebuild mine for my delivery vans the three of them vw, still can find all the help parts I need not too difficult and cheap

 

[67charger383]

Why rebuild a factory starter when you can buy a brand new high torque mini starter for $50 on eBay?

 

[OKDart]

Why rebuild a factory starter when you can buy a brand new high torque mini starter for $50 on eBay?

1. Because the noses break easier on most mini's

2. Some people like the sound of originals better

3. For Originality

 

[kiwigtx]

Finding some one with a growler to test windings and know how to use it

I haven't heard anyone since my apprenticeship talk about having a growler, or how to use one.

We used to rewind electric motors all the time, and the growler was used often.

 

[bm02tj]

A friend of my dads had one and was good at his rebuilds
he also show me how to straighten metering blocks on Holley carbs
Sorry to say most of the people that knew all that good stuff are dead

 

[JimKueneman]

I rebuilt all of them for our cars. Try to get a close date code on them too

https://www.aspwholesale.com/starter-rebuild-kits.html

 

[WileE]

Central Jersey Starter & Alternator... Great quality work.

 

[MGKelly]

I used this guys for my starter, getting ready to send him my alternator: http://www.plumcrazygarage.com/index.html

 

[Sam69sat]

I heard these guys are cheap but probably 15,000 miles away.

 

[F4R/T]

Why buy a cheap Chinese knock off when you can rebuild your American or oem one for little in parts and have something more reliable .. there is a difference at least the nippendenso are reliable and inexpensive, china ones are cheap but going to cost ya !

 

[RJRENTON]

I haven't heard anyone since my apprenticeship talk about having a growler, or how to use one.

We used to rewind electric motors all the time, and the growler was used often.

Repairing or rebuilding seems to be a lost art, especially in today's throw away society. Its easier to buy some Chinese junk and bitch about the p-p quality or longevity. The use of a "growler" is rarely used tool.... used to detect shorted armature (the rotating part of a DC motor) windings. If a shorted armature winding is detected, a total rewind of the armature is needed.....but sometimes, disconnecting the shorted winding (usually to ground) from the commutator (copper segments that contacts the brushes) but left in place for balance, will allow the motor to operate but with significantly less torque. Field coils almost never need replaced but brushes and solenoid contacts are the most frequently replaced part along with the starter clutch drive...aka "bendix". BTW....anyone know where the term "bendix" origionated ? Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON

 

[JimKueneman]

Repairing or rebuilding seems to be a lost art, especially in today's throw away society. Its easier to buy some Chinese junk and bitch about the p-p quality or longevity. The use of a "growler" is rarely used tool.... used to detect shorted armature (the rotating part of a DC motor) windings. If a shorted armature winding is detected, a total rewind of the armature is needed.....but sometimes, disconnecting the shorted winding (usually to ground) from the commutator (copper segments that contacts the brushes) but left in place for balance, will allow the motor to operate but with significantly less torque. Field coils almost never need replaced but brushes and solenoid contacts are the most frequently replaced part along with the starter clutch drive...aka "bendix". BTW....anyone know where the term "bendix" origionated ? Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON

Mr Bendix and his bike brakes ?

 

[Moparnocar]

Repairing or rebuilding seems to be a lost art, especially in today's throw away society. Its easier to buy some Chinese junk and bitch about the p-p quality or longevity. The use of a "growler" is rarely used tool.... used to detect shorted armature (the rotating part of a DC motor) windings. If a shorted armature winding is detected, a total rewind of the armature is needed.....but sometimes, disconnecting the shorted winding (usually to ground) from the commutator (copper segments that contacts the brushes) but left in place for balance, will allow the motor to operate but with significantly less torque. Field coils almost never need replaced but brushes and solenoid contacts are the most frequently replaced part along with the starter clutch drive...aka "bendix". BTW....anyone know where the term "bendix" origionated ? Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON

Field coils almost never need replaced EXCEPT on 66-67 Charger headlight motors .. all mine have been bad

 

[RJRENTON]

Mr Bendix and his bike brakes ?

I remember the "Bendix" coaster brake (which is basically a one way clutch) on some bikes....also New Departure.....probably from the GM division Delco New Departure Hyatt Corp which made many of the ball and roller bearings GM used. My origional question was largely rhetorical....but it would be nice to know....if one was going to play "Trivial Pursuit".....
BOB RENTON

 

[Nevada dan]

got half a day early out of school to work at a mechanic shop in high school, we would tear down the starters put the armature on the growler and rebuild if they were good, used to pull them off outside below freezing cause if you brought them in the cow **** rained down on you, good ol days