Ckrawiec
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, I've never had liquid come pouring out of a starter....taking a wild ass guess I'd conjecture that the water came through the exterior starter case (somehow) - judging by how rusty it was from the outside and how clean it was on the working end. It MIGHT be OK if you rebuild it (but water and electric components don't play well together) and you really coat/seal the hell out of the outside of the starter. Alas, almost nothing is waterproof forever and the starter really takes the brunt of being low in the ski and getting wet often.Now I’ve gotten the rebuild kit in the mail to repair the old starter. I took it apart and BAM what a mess. Black Liquid pouring out everywhere. It reeked the same as that smell I noticed when I removed starter from the engine block. Chemical smelling. Is this liquid supposed to be in the starter or is that just lakewater that worked it’s way in?
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Is this worth rebuilding? I bought all replacement o-rings and planned to coat it real good with rustoleum when complete. But now not so sure.
FYI: I've had an aftermarket starter in my '96 ski now (2nd season) and no issues so far...spins nice and strong (FWIW).