Carrying spare starter?

[LeeME3]

Seen mention of carrying a spare starter in a couple threads and the Wiki...are they particularly prone to failure? Wondering if it's worth looking out for one on a well known auction site and checking it out to carry for longer trips / overnighters...

Thoughts? I mean obviously any spare you carry is potentially a trip saver but the ultimate extension of that argument is to drive around with a spare engine...you gotta draw the line somewhere!

[BOXY]

What's wrong with bump starting it that what hills are for.

[82JEW75]

Obviously the best solution is to have enough spares to build a new van along with a full pit crew follow you around in a couple of trucks. When you pull into the campsite at the end of the day, they strip your van down, give it a full service, replace anything that's broken or might break tomorrow and rebuild it, while you get a good night's sleep.

What do you mean you're not doing the Paris-Dakkar rally?


There are some spares worth carrying if you can.

These fall into three categories:

Things you can fix yourself at the side of the road, thus avoiding having to call out the breakdown truck.
Spare wheel, bulbs, fuses, fanbelt etc, adjust according to your mechanical skills.
These are equally things that the AA man can fix at the side of the road, if you have the parts.

Parts that will be sourced by a garage where there is a risk of confusion. If you get taken to a garage, they will normally diagnose the problem and order the parts for the repair. It is extremely unlikely that they will be a VW van specialist. For "common" parts such as starter motors, alternators, electric fuel pumps, brakes, they will use a reference book or computer search from their standard suppliers (e.g. Delphi, Valeo). Firstly these references can contain errors, secondly people can make mistakes, especially when they're not familiar with the vehicle and thirdly the T3 Transporter may not even be listed. There may be little noticeable difference between the correct part and an incorrect pattern part, but it can cause a disaster (e.g. trying to fit a starter with a 2mm difference in bolt spacing, or the wrong drive pinion for your flywheel). So having a spare to provide the mechanic with is a good idea. Pattern parts can also be horrendously expensive.
Starter motor, alternator (especially Aircooled), CV joints, fuel pump.
All of these are fairly small and can be stored in the van without too much trouble.

Parts that are unobtainable through the normal channels. These are things that a garage will not be able to source through their normal parts suppliers and that you can reasonably carry as spares (i.e. not a gearbox).
A good example would be a fully built-up Aircooled cylinder head along with a pair of pistons and barrels. Pushrod tubes are another good one. These are optional items, though I'd certainly carry a couple of pushrod tubes on a long trip. Could make the difference between getting home in your van and going home on a plane. A gasket set (for your engine) also falls into this section, will save an awful lot of hassle and takes no space at all, get a good one.

For really big stuff that you can't carry, it makes sense to have a list of parts suppliers to provide a garage with, this would be stuff like rebuilt engines (hole in the crankcase) and gearboxes.


Obviously what you carry depends on where you're going, how long you plan to be away and whether or not you'll be on a tight time budget.

Staying close to home, I wouldn't bother with anything much, a couple of weeks in Europe and I'd certainly want a spare starter, alternator and fuel pump, as that would enable those to be fixed in a couple of hours as opposed to a week. With no time restriction, I'd probably carry less, leave it behind with someone who can send it out to you and save the space for other stuff.

[LeeME3]

Blimey excellent answer thanks! Like the idea of leaving some parts with someone who can send them out if necessary on longer trips.

Well, picked up a starter for £20 inc postage (looks a bit rough but seller says its good and has given a guarantee so will clean it and test it), already have a fanbelt so will get an alternator and fuel pump as well I think. That's about the limit of what I'd attempt at the road side anyway so that makes sense.

Thanks!

[Nicola&Tony]

Manual gearbox or automatic? If it's manual, will you be carrying a spare bush as well as the spare starter?

Tony

[LeeME3]

Manual...hmmm, I'm gonna end up towing my trailer the whole time aren't I?

Crazy thing is in the 5 or 6 weeks I've had her I've done over 1200 miles with no hiccups (apart from me being a muppet and draining the battery overnight), I'm just trying to keep fate on my side!

[Hacksawbob]

Well, picked up a starter for £20 inc postage (looks a bit rough but seller says its good and has given a guarantee so will clean it and test it),
Thanks!

in case ytou didn't know the petrol starter can't be tested without being installed as the shaft has one end that requires holding in position with the bush in the bellhousing.

[Nicola&Tony]

Manual...hmmm, I'm gonna end up towing my trailer the whole time aren't I?

Nah, but if you're taking the bush as well you might want to carry a 12mm tap and a pair of mole grips for removing the old one:
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 8&start=30" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LeeME3]

in case you didn't know the petrol starter can't be tested without being installed as the shaft has one end that requires holding in position with the bush in the bellhousing.

My plan is actually to fit the one I've just bought and keep my current one as the spare then i know its good and I've practiced fitting it.

Decided not to bother with a fuel pump though as I have LPG.

(I mean a spare fuel pump - clearly I'm leaving the current one on!)

[timwatson]

the only spare apart from the obvious wheel and fan belt is the !!AA!! card
so when its tipping it down he gets wet not me!
THATS WHAT WE PAY FOR.
much cheaper than all the spares you might never need and to be honest space is a premium in a camper so no matter how many cupboards you have i still wouldnt have enough room.
but if im broke down and you spot me on the side of the road and its my starter motor i will buy it from you.....(fitted of course)

[VW T25 Feuerwehr]

Think all of the above is great advice, having returned from a 4112Km round trip, I took quite a few spares and didnt use any of them but the whole journey I was more relaxed knowing that I had covered as many bases as I thought I could.

Actually I tell a lie i used one of my essential spares.....20 Marlboro lights had to be taken out of the emergency kit bag when camping in Poland - an essential emergency part that any smoker should carry incase of a breakdown! Smoker broke down = Smoker brokedown with no cigarettes =

[Nicola&Tony]

the only spare apart from the obvious wheel and fan belt is the !!AA!! card
so when its tipping it down he gets wet not me!
THATS WHAT WE PAY FOR.

Unfortunately I don't think the AA or any of the breakdown companies carry many parts for a t25 / t3 anymore. Depending where you go on your trips (e.g. Scottish Highlands) that could be a lengthy wait for a part to arrive

Tony

[timwatson]

all but carrying a complete engine rebuild kit with all essentials the AA or similar is the next best thing
and if you do have to use them at least you will save on fuel.

[Nicola&Tony]

Would be a shame to have to cut a holiday short for the sake of not carrying a fairly small part though. But yes, if your engine needs rebuilding it's probably time to go home!

[82JEW75]

all but carrying a complete engine rebuild kit with all essentials the AA or similar is the next best thing
and if you do have to use them at least you will save on fuel.

Yes, assuming recovery is an option

No mention of distance was originally made.

One week in to a 4 week European trip you might think rather differently. Recovery home won't be an option (see the discussion in general chat). A French/German/Italian mechanic will find you a starter, but it will take a couple of days to arrive, so you'll be sat around waiting. Annoying but not the end of the world.
If you were on your way back to the ferry though... hire car, leave van at garage, fly back a week or two later to pick it up.

Ok, you can't carry everything, but a few parts might save your holiday.


For the record, I currently have no spares in my van, not even a spare wheel, but I'm not venturing outside of the radius of "mates who can lend a hand" either.