Thoughts on replacement starter...???

[flkeysdude]

Just picked up a verrrry nice 2003 gti le. Hit the start button and it just "clicks". It has a brand new AGM battery that shows 12.8 volts. Guy I bought it from had taken it to the local SD dealer and had it diagnosed. They said he needed an new starter for $284.57, 3 gaskets and 4 hours labor @ $79./hr.

Any thoughts or suggestions on a non OEM starter (ebay $43.00, etc.) or another alternative...??? I know "cheap can be expensive...". I realize the exhaust manifold has to come off to access the starter...I'm pretty mechanical...how difficult is this job...???

Thanks !

 

[RFoster130]

Most the ebay starters are garbage. You get what you pay for. It is best to stick with oem. Find a local shop who can rebuild your starter is the best alternative to buying a new SeaDoo starter.

 

[scooper77515]

My one and only ebay starter worked GREAT! Then locked up jammed into the flywheel on the 3rd trip out.

When I removed it, I had it on my desk while surfing the net and playing with the gear, and noticed that as it spun, it went up and down.

Put dial indicator on it and the shaft was bent out of round by .100".

Upon closer inspection, it had a flat spot on the low edge, suggesting that someone dropped it onto the shaft, then sold it.

I went with an SBT remanufactured starter for around $100 and have had good luck since.

 

[seadooya]

exhaust dont need to be removed. Have a swivel connector, 13mm socket and an extention...no worries.

 

[flkeysdude]

HA...!!! I'm suprised to hear that...! I don't remember even being able to see it let alone get to it easily. I'll look at that again tonight...I hope you're right...!!!

Thanks !

 

[scooper77515]

Keep a coat hanger handy. You WILL drop a nut and need to make a hook out of the hanger and pull it out from under the engine.

If you have room and your engine bay is set up like mine, you might find it easier to lift one side up off the motor mounts, or at least loosen them up to jack that side up a little for more working space.

If you are lucky, you won't drop the nuts, though :cheers:

 

[frank.dimambro]

I bought an Ebay starter just to get the armature, is the armature what makes the Ebay starter Garbage.

 

[frank.dimambro]

I should have mentioned, I reused the starter moter from the original engine with the Armature and the brush assembly from the Ebay starter, works great. Dismateling the starters was a little tricky.

 

[flkeysdude]

Frank.D...

I don't quite understand your post...

The armature of the eBay starter is garbage, but that you bought the eBay starter for the armature...and it now works fine ??? What am I missing...???

Thanks !

 

[SurfBeat]

Knowing SeaDooYa for a couple of years, my experience has been when he offers advice you can be confident that it is reliable.

Now, with respect to removing the Starter, here is what I did when I removed one from a 93 GTX (580cc engine)

I fetched a 6" or 12" inch socket bar and ran it to the two mounting bolts, 12 or 13mm from what I recall.

After I lossed them a tad, I stuck a towel under the starter to catch the bolts is they fell out of the socket.

I also applied some electrical tape on the socket so it would attach to the bolt as I removed it.

Now, I am no SeaDooYa mechanic type of guy, I am only a Shade Tree mechanic, however, if I performed the task, anyone can do it.

.

 

[frank.dimambro]

Hi flkeysdude,
I was following on from previous posts that were saying that the ebay starters in general were garbage. I wanted to know what made them garbage.
My original factory starter was dead so I opened it up to understand how it died. What I found was ....
1. The Positive brush flex wire to the positive post had
become open circuit, most likely blew like a fuse, the smell
of burnt circuit was pretty strong.
2. The armature had some of the windings burned out.

The rest of the seals and bearings of the factory starter all seemed reusable, plus it matched the engine paintwork, so I was motivated to fix it rather than completely replace it.
So I searched for a new armature, those were expensive.
so I decided to buy one of those ebay starters and dismantle it
and use the armature and brush assembly from that to repair the factory starter.
Once I completed the armature + brush assembly transplant from the ebay starter to the factory starter, then the factory starter working fine.
Now if the problem in general with ebay starters is the armature then I fear I may not get as long a life on my
fixed starter as I would like, so I got curious about what
made them garbage.

 

[flkeysdude]

Got it...thanks for all of the great input and advice ! I hope to get the chance to dismantle the starter this weekend...I'll let you know how I make out...