Starter motor replacement success - thanks club 80-90!
Posted: 30 Jun 2013, 16:43
I just wanted to thank everyone involved with club 80-90 for providing the information to help me replace the starter motor on my 1983 1900 water cooled van. It's been too many years since I worked on a vehicle myself, so I thought I'd have a go after my slow / intermittent starter finally stopped starting!
I can get under the van without jacking it up, and was surprised how easily I disconnected the wires and bolts to the starter. Off the van I tested it with a battery, the solenoid wouldn't operate without applying extra pressure, and the motor wouldn't turn with power applied directly. I checked the brushes as described in the workshop manual but they were OK.
I decided to order a replacement from VW Heritage, and it was then I spotted the fact that the gearbox/starter bush should be replaced too. I couldn't find any information in the workshop manual about the bush, so club 80-90 was invaluable. Although expensive tools are available for removing the old bush, it was mentioned that an M12 tap would do the trick. I couldn't get one of those easily, but I found that an M12 coach head screw worked a treat. Since the tip is tapered and the thread quite wide, screwing it in was fairly easy and the old bush was cut and spiralled into the thread and came out easily in a few pieces. I also took the precaution of stuffing a rag into the flywheel gap, but didn't drop anything in it.
Putting the new oil soaked bush in was a bit fiddly to get started. I hooked it onto a screwdriver to prevent it from slipping away and just used finger pressure to push it in place, I then managed to tap it in further with the head of the M12 screw I extracted the old one with. Gentle, repeated tapping got it fully in eventually.
I cleaned the wire terminals before reconnecting the new started motor, which all went on smoothly. After reconnecting the battery, I was pleasantly surprised that it just worked! The difference was immediately noticeable. The old starter used to cough slowly while struggling to turn the engine, the replacement spins as one would hope and the engine starts with no worries.
It's so satisfying to have done that myself, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been successful without the information I picked up from this site. So thanks again.
Cheers,
Tim.
I can get under the van without jacking it up, and was surprised how easily I disconnected the wires and bolts to the starter. Off the van I tested it with a battery, the solenoid wouldn't operate without applying extra pressure, and the motor wouldn't turn with power applied directly. I checked the brushes as described in the workshop manual but they were OK.
I decided to order a replacement from VW Heritage, and it was then I spotted the fact that the gearbox/starter bush should be replaced too. I couldn't find any information in the workshop manual about the bush, so club 80-90 was invaluable. Although expensive tools are available for removing the old bush, it was mentioned that an M12 tap would do the trick. I couldn't get one of those easily, but I found that an M12 coach head screw worked a treat. Since the tip is tapered and the thread quite wide, screwing it in was fairly easy and the old bush was cut and spiralled into the thread and came out easily in a few pieces. I also took the precaution of stuffing a rag into the flywheel gap, but didn't drop anything in it.
Putting the new oil soaked bush in was a bit fiddly to get started. I hooked it onto a screwdriver to prevent it from slipping away and just used finger pressure to push it in place, I then managed to tap it in further with the head of the M12 screw I extracted the old one with. Gentle, repeated tapping got it fully in eventually.
I cleaned the wire terminals before reconnecting the new started motor, which all went on smoothly. After reconnecting the battery, I was pleasantly surprised that it just worked! The difference was immediately noticeable. The old starter used to cough slowly while struggling to turn the engine, the replacement spins as one would hope and the engine starts with no worries.
It's so satisfying to have done that myself, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been successful without the information I picked up from this site. So thanks again.
Cheers,
Tim.