Golden Jubilee
Posts: 5192
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm
Location: Lyman, IA
Delco starter overhaul.
I don't generally do electric motor overhaul as I don't own a growler or armature lathe. At one time I had access to these but it was long ago. So I send them out. I don't send out alternators, I do those myself.
In the last few days it wouldn't crank, so I found another starter on the net and have it coming.
I pulled the defective unit and opened it up. The rebuild was complete trash. The cut the commutator right into where the windings attach, then tried to solder repair the joint! The bushings in both ends were worn beyond serviceable but not replaced. This caused the armature to rub on the pole shoes. To top it off, one of the brushes was put at an angle and only making 1/3rd contact, reducing the current to the armature.
So, I bought a new drive end bushing, a NOS rear cover and bushing, a new set of brushes and debated between a NOS armature and a new aftermarket one, and in the end went with aftermarket at 1/3rd the cost of NOS.
Even if I bought the NOS armature (a little over $100), the total cost is about the same as a rebuilt that was junk.
My advice, for what it is worth, rebuild your own, forget cutting and undercutting armature, just replace it! NOS and aftermarket replacements are available because most of the older starters shared a lot of common parts. Armatures for my K-7 unit were used in GM products, tractors and other makes. The bushings and brushes are still in use
I just looked up the part numbers, both IHC and Delco, and found everything is available NOS and some are in the aftermarket.
The rear cover/brush holder assembly I am getting is still sealed in a Delco box, likely 70 years old.
The skill in motor rebuild comes in evaluating and repairing the commutator/armature, the rest is simple disassembly and re assembly, easy for anyone and just takes common hand tools. Most can judge if a bushing has slop, and can change it if it does.
Given that, I makes even less sense that a paid shop could screw it up that badly!