ROTFLMAO! I have a set of good jack stands and blocks for the wheels. It isn't the first time a vehicle has gotten away from me. You'd think I'd learn. My last episode the other day just reminded me and there were no injuries except to my pride.

On the vent tube, Mine has already been replaced apparently with a piece of heater hose that runs outboard of the starter. It doesn't cover any bolts and is movable.

Thanks

Edwin

 

For ya fellas who like video's, especially since this guy's using LarryB's kit, you'll get an idea of what's going on visually.. Good tutorial on a sweet 92

BTW, I don't know why he didn't remove the vent tube, but in the video, he didn't. Less struggle, IMO, but who the heck am I ?


He has BC847's tutorial in printed paper on the bench to the left of him... Lol. Gotta Love DTR

 

Finished and tested



Wire brushed all the gunk off the center section

snout base.

 

When I had the unit disassembled, I couldn't get the cap off the bottom end of the starter center section, just as BC847 had mentioned. I replaced as many bearings as I could, but that one haunted me, because it had the ever so slight growling noise when you spun the cap on the end of that center hunk. Since I haven't installed the starter back in the truck, I figured I'd get that bearing out no matter what I had to do, and I was actually able to do so, today.

First thing I did was make myself a home brew puller. It's actually a pusher, but a puller will do.

Once I had all the design worked out, I put it to the test. It popped that bearing right off the center hub, but left the bearing in the cap. I pulled and pried, but couldn't get it to budge. I took a torch and "warmed up" the cap from the inside, and the bearing popped out with a couple of picks. Now I can replace the bearing as I wanted to originally, and not have that thought in the back of my mind.... you left the growly bearing in there, and you'll think about it every time you start the truck.

So here she is.... all disassembled again, and bearing removed. Replacement will take place, most likely tomorrow, cause I ran out of motivation once I had it out.

..


Gray end cap still stuck on.

Fabricated puller / pusher in place

center section removed, and bearing still in there.

Heat helped it to come out

Everything to go back together tomorrow


After removing the end cap, I realized that if I had simply heated up the cap, I might have been able to remove the cap and bearing without having to build myself a puller / pusher gizmo. When I replaced the bearing back onto the center shaft, I noticed I scuffed the coating on the windings, and ordered a container of insulating varnish for the small nicks I created with the puller. I didn't want to reassemble the unit with damaged coatings on the windings, as they're coated for a reason (not to arc, corrode, etc). The red stuff is the motor winding varnish I got from Amazon here:
In order to reinstall the bearing back in the end cap, I placed the end cap on a hotplate, then right before I assembled the cap onto the bearing which was on the shaft of the motor, I gave it a tad more heat with my torch. Not enough to do any damage, but enough to "expand" the opening where the bearing sat in the end cap. Dropped right in with a slight tap.

Installed back in the truck, and works perfectly (so far). Nice to have that growly bearing replaced.



Red varnish on windings where coating chipped.

New bearing installed.

Fully reassembled

Back in the truck.

 

I just spent the day yesterday removing and overhauling the starter on my F-350.

Having so many of these engines around here, I would have sworn I had already done this years ago; but, once I got started, it was obvious nobody had been in there since 1989.

Curiously, this starter never did "click" not once, NEVER; it just got real sluggish, as if the batteries were about drained, and then just simply quit responding at all; not a click, not a grunt, dead as a doornail.

The truck was sitting at home after a very busy weekend, making several trips here and there, and at each place I was having to resort to utilizing my self-jump-start switch and accessory battery that is solenoid-isolated from the starting circuit.

Without the self-jump-start, it would contact and just barely roll over, like the batteries were dead; with the remaining battery brought into play, the first few times, it would crank and fire off with authority; but, with each subsequent start, it was getting a bit more sluggish; all of this led me to believe I had a connection problem somewhere in my many cable connections --- I did not --- I could have welded with the fire I had right up to the starter itself.

Tuesday morning, safe at home, my intention was to pull the truck up on the ramps to make underneath access ever so much easier; more fool me; it barely grunted and gave up like all the batteries were dead.

This sluggish behavior kept me wasting time and effort chasing after all the other popular suspects before I finally decided the only other possible was the starter; and, once I got inside, it was obvious my sluggish cranking was the starter all along.

The standard-issue contacts and the big copper washer that contacts them were barely worn at all; plenty good enough to run had I not had brand-new stuff to replace them with; I attribute this to there always being plenty of battery power when contact is made and thus no arcing and burning.

Two of the brushes and the stator thingie were a different story.

The stator was completely black and slicked-over with some kind of crud; there was no evidence of grooves; just a smooth shiny black surface.

Two of the brushes looked almost good as new and were easily movable in and out.

The other two, the ones that the screws come in sideways into the two tabs that poke through the brush holder from below, were almost worn into their little cables.

These two brushes were frozen and immovable; I had to drive them out with a hammer and punch.

I find it curious that two opposing brushes could be so new-looking and completely operable while the other pair are worn to the nub and frozen in their tracks; I wouldn't hesitate to reuse the two good ones; whereas their running mates were completely shot.

If I wasn't running three HOT Group 31S batteries, I doubt I would have gotten by as long as I did.

Before I ate my combination breakfast/lunch/snacks/supper, I had the cruddy stator clean and shiny as a new penny and the starter laying on the ground in front of the truck being "bench-tested" with jumper-cables and an Alligator-clip switch-wire.

Although I did not have the capability to test it under load, like the guys at Drakeford Brothers can do, I am confident that it should be good for another three- or four-hundred-thousand miles.

Enough about that; following is the part you need to remember:

Consider that, although the starter had not been opened up since 1989, in 2006, when I put the Cummins in the F-350, I had to remove and then re-install the starter; I was careful to not trap anything between the starter and engine; and, me being me, I had slathered on plenty of that silver stuff on all threaded connections --- no Loc-Tite was used; this is not the place for Loc-Tite..

I must have been stronger then than now as I had to resort to my 3-foot-long Harbor Freight 3/8-drive breaker-bar to break loose the bolts.

IF you are dealing with a starter that has been previously removed and the previous remover/re-installer had the presence of mind and was not stupid enough to re-trap all that stuff between the starter and engine, such as the crank-case vent and some of that automatic transmission stuff, all of which resides much more happily on the other/outboard side of the starter, the entire removal and re-installation can be accomplished with plain old long extensions, ratchet, and socket.

Mount Bolts = 10mm 12-point Socket

All three bolts can easily be accessed using long extensions and a socket.

9-3/4" long extension for initial loosening and final tightening

8" long extension for final removal and initial installation

"Door ****" ratchet is essential once loosened.

The whole job could probably be done with the 9-3/4" extension; but, it sort of gets "out there" before the bolts ever come completely out.

At least on my F-350, access to all three bolts is much easier from underneath.