Starter motor quietened by relay

Dan R · Jul 9, 2014

Starter was making a high pitched grinding sound if switched on for more than a second. Was told it was the Bendix drive. The starter is fairly new, around 30 months.
I replaced the fender mounted relay as a first, less expensive step.
Starter motor grinding is gone. Was the old relay sticking?

RonD · Jul 10, 2014

No, what happened doesn't make sense.

The noise may have been amps arcing in the starter relay, but I wouldn't call that a grinding sound, high pitched yes.

But if your starter motor wasn't engaging(bad bendix) then changing relay wouldn't help.
If problem(noise) comes back then you will know you changed the wrong part, if it doesn't then you will know it wasn't the "bendix" after all.

Dan R · Jul 11, 2014

I spoke too soon, you were right. The whine is back!
Will removing the starter, cleaning and lubing the Bendix drive cure it?

alwaysFlOoReD · Jul 11, 2014

Dan R said:
Will removing the starter, cleaning and lubing the Bendix drive cure it?

In my experience, no. It's fairly simple to replace tho. Keep an eye on the washers at the end of the nose cone for what order they are installed.

Richard

RonD · Jul 11, 2014

What he said ^^^^

Dan R · Jul 11, 2014

Thanks guys!

Dan R · Jul 31, 2014

What next?

alwaysFlOoReD said:
In my experience, no. It's fairly simple to replace tho. Keep an eye on the washers at the end of the nose cone for what order they are installed.

Richard

Thanks for the tips. I have the starter off the truck. The top bolt was not obvious but I eventually saw it above the other two and got it out using a long extension with a 13mm socket. The bolt head faces aft not forward as I first thought. That is a 15 mm bolt above the starter facing forwards.

I will replace the drive and the brush set. I will take out the long 8mm bolts. Any tips on replacing the drive? Do I need to remove the solenoid?

Thanks again,
Dan

alwaysFlOoReD · Aug 1, 2014

The starters I'm familiar with don't have a solenoid attached. The long 8mm bolts need to be removed so you can get the nose cone off. Slide the nose forward while looking how the actuator is attached for when you put it back together. The over running clutch drive " bendix " should twist off the shaft. I've not done brushes so can't help there.
Good luck.

Dan R · Aug 15, 2014

alwaysFlOoReD said:
The starters I'm familiar with don't have a solenoid attached. The long 8mm bolts need to be removed so you can get the nose cone off. Slide the nose forward while looking how the actuator is attached for when you put it back together. The over running clutch drive " bendix " should twist off the shaft. I've not done brushes so can't help there.
Good luck.

My first starter rebuild went OK. New Bendix in and brushes were not worn. I gave the brushes and commutator a good clean. There is a great site on YouTube called Westronicsirl They show breakdowns of starters and alternators.
Back in, the starter works well but there are still screeches. I now suspect that it is the serpentine belt. To be continued...

Bronco638 · Aug 15, 2014

I had a similar issue on a motorcycle I owned (the screeching). It's a known issue with the 1996+ Suzuki DR650SE. When the temperature drops to 40º F (or below), the bushing in the nose of the starter becomes slightly worn and the wear causes the screeching sound. The solution is to remove the bushing and install a bearing.

I am not intimate with the Ranger start but could there be a similar issue?

Dan R · Aug 16, 2014

Bronco638 said:
I had a similar issue on a motorcycle I owned (the screeching). It's a known issue with the 1996+ Suzuki DR650SE. When the temperature drops to 40º F (or below), the bushing in the nose of the starter becomes slightly worn and the wear causes the screeching sound. The solution is to remove the bushing and install a bearing.

I am not intimate with the Ranger start but could there be a similar issue?

It could be but I am not in a mad rush to get the starter out again. There is a tendency for the noise to occur at lower temps when the engine is cold.The bushings have been lubricated with Mobil 1 synthetic grease. This is great stuff in my experience. Some rotating air extractors on the roof were lubricated with this stuff five years ago and are still going strong. With regular grease they had to be lubed every year before getting noisy. The A/C compressor pulley bearing needs replaced and I will also replace the existing serpentine belt with a Goodyear Gatorback. The Goodyear belt claims to be extra quiet.
Still, the screech comes at the end of starter engagement and it is still the prime suspect.

Starter motor quietened by relay

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