Starter motor test?

[fergus77]

Ok, rebuild ground to halt as there seems to be bother with the starter motor.

Now, took the motor out of the van and got my jump leads out. Connected up to a battety reading 12.4V and then put the negative lead onto the starter motor casing and the positive lead onto the spade terminal. The solenoid (can't spell again) clicked and shot out as it should, test ok.
Did the seem test with the positive lead on the thread terminal coming from the battery and nothing. Didn't spin at all. The only way the motor would spin was by bridging the 2 threaded terminals and even then it span slowly without much umph in it.

I am right in saying the motor is scrap and i need a new one, right?

[Sir Chad]

you have to energise the solenoid before the starter will turn so bridging the terminals is the right thing to do when testing.
It sounds like the starter may well be shot but before you condemn it
how big was the wire running to the main terminal? small section wire can't carry enough current to run a starter, and how confident are you that the battery you used is healthy?

[Sir Chad]

doh, just read again and jump leads are big enuf to carry the current so unless the battery is knackered you starter is dead

[fergus77]

Cheers for the reply Sir Chad, off to the scrappy tomorrow and see what i can dig up, maybe another Dub or 2

[Louey]

I've always said take your starter to an Auto electricians so they can test it. The can also either rebuild the starter or just replace certain bits, like the solenoid etc

[Hacksawbob]

you cant reliably test the SM out of the bell housing as it needs the front bearing that sits in the bell housing to keep the internal wound parts from being attracted to the outer, so it wont spin and looks knacked.