Club 80-90 Forums

Hello all, hope your enjoying summer van life! Hope so, coz I am even if mine is being a bit testy lately...
My starter finally packed up this week, after refusing to die for about 2 months. When it was switched it had been intermittently not throwing out to catch the flywheel, and eventually it just whirred away quite chirpily but that was about it. I took it off last Friday and loads of little bits fell out of the open end, including a few little pins and springs and twisted bits of metal. I chose to diagnose it as knackered, and I've ordered a replacement but I'm confused as to why it was so oily? I wouldn't expect stuff spinning around near my clutch etc to be oily or am I missing something here? There has been a drip around the bottom of the bell housing for a while which I am guessing now to be related.
Any ideas would be appreciated, before I take the plunge and have a go at getting inside for a look. May have to wait till after our new sprog pops out in next couple of weeks or I could be in trouble from the missus!

Crankshaft seal worn

On his missus?

Cheers , I've had my nose in the big green book an was starting to draw that conclusion too. Not about the missus mind! Her seals still intact at time of writing !
I was looking at a starter motor diagram too though and can't suss out where all these bits came from. Diagram I got doesn't show any little springs but I suppose something must return the drive pinion after the electric is switched off?

Your starter motor is dead
Post mortems are futile