Rebuilt starter ‘96 GTS 5817–is this normal operation?

[Arriva2001]

Hi
I’ve been working to resolve a starting issue on my ski, and have determined my starter is toast.

I bought the starter rebuild kit, took it all apart, cleaned, replaced the brushes, and put it all back together.

Now it’s rebuilt...Is this how it should perform? Seems sluggish to me.
Video linked below.
iCloud

 

[mikidymac]

It should spin hard and fast.

It is possible the water damaged the windings and in that case it might not be salvageable

 

[Arriva2001]

Maybe that’s the case here. I wish I took more “before” pictures of the inside. Here’s what it looked like before I cleaned it with contact cleaner and sanded the copper end piece with 2000 grit.



Not sure what it’s “supposed”
To look like...but I wasn’t expecting the winding to look like glue or tan colored.

Maybe this one is just a lost cause unless you guys have any ideas for last ditch things I could try to save it.

 

[mikidymac]

The windings will be covered in epoxy but you can't tell by looking at it if there is a internal short.

Bearings could be bad also.

 

[Steve762us]

Make sure you clean out sanding residue from
the gaps between commutator bars.

 

[Arriva2001]

Thanks for the tips. I did not do anything to clean the gaps other than spray more contact cleaner and wipe with a rag. and I did not replace the bearing. Do I need special tools for that?

 

[Arriva2001]

ok...so after spending about an hour trying to get that little circlip off from the end of the starter motor (where the gear is located), I think I'm giving up on this thing (for now). If anyone has any quick tips or tutorials for how to pull this thing all apart to get to the bearing, I'm all ears. But for now I think I'll test my luck with the other starter i installed yesterday!

 

[mikidymac]

That clip is a royal pain. There is a company that makes a special tool for removing them. Usually I destroy them so I just order new ones when I have a starter to rebuild. Sounds like yours might be a lost cause at this point.

 

[Arriva2001]

Yeah that clip basically defeated me! I almost stabbed myself with a screwdriver too many times to mention. I didn’t want to try much harder for something that ultimately might just be a waste of time.

 

[Steve762us]

Thanks for the tips. I did not do anything to clean the gaps other than spray more contact cleaner and wipe with a rag. and I did not replace the bearing. Do I need special tools for that?

Just run a toothpick thru the gaps, and wipe away the conductive crud.

A bad bearing won't make it turn 'slow', and it'll feel rough and make
noise--even if motor's turning 'slow'.

What (power source) did you use to test the starter?

 

[Arriva2001]

Yeah it isn’t turning rough at all. Just slow. I can try to clean gaps with a toothpick and give it one more shot. I powered from a fully charged battery using car jumper cables. Is there a better way to test it? Set it directly on battery terminals?

 

[Arriva2001]

Of course now I’ve really bent that clip...so if the toothpick trick fixes it, I’ll need to order a new one of those.

 

[Arriva2001]

ok...so I'm giving this thing one more chance before I toss it in the recycle bin. I opened it up today to clean the commutator gaps with a toothpick, and it was a little 'damp' near the bottom end O-ring (it had been sitting upright in a vise all night). So I'm thinking I may have been too hasty with putting it all back together after I cleaned it and was still a little wet (although it clearly is no stranger to having water inside it).

I cleaned everything again with the Contact Cleaner and cleaned the grooves in the commutator with a small toothpick.

Now everything is still sitting apart in the hot nebraska heat on a piece of absorbent cardboard (and will sit there in the sun tomorrow all day while I'm at work too). I'll try putting it all back together tomorrow night with the new brushes and test it one more time with the shortest/thickest cables I have. Battery is charging up now...

 

[Arriva2001]

...well I gave it my best... put it all back together...but still spins very very slow. So I’m recycling it. It had a very respectable 23 year career!

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

There;s definitely something wrong with that starter. Could be a winding is shorted or even one of the magnets may be cracked? It sure seems to stop quickly when you remove power though, does it feel stiff?

I think you need a new one.

 

[Arriva2001]

It turns smooth by hand. Just real slow under power. I have given up on it. I tried to rebuild it...but after I did it, still not gonna start that sea doo. Turns too slow. I’ll keep my eye out for an OEM one on eBay since I have a fresh rebuild kit I can use.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

When you get the new one, take the power off quickly when testing this way b/c don't want it to run too fast and possibly damage it.

 

[Steve762us]

Sounds like it's got a short

There;s definitely something wrong with that starter. Could be a winding is shorted.

Probably shorted winding(s). Could have happened when
trying to start engine, running starter over and over. Heat
build-up damaged insulation on windings, and the starter's
toast.

Don't obsess on cleaning out the grooves--you just don't
want them full of conductive schmoo.

 

[mikidymac]

My guess being full of water did not help it either.

 

[Arriva2001]

It smelled so strong like chemicals when I opened it. Maybe that was the smell of melted epoxy or something.