And then you have to work out whether you need to sacrifice to some spirit in your bus to allow you to fit a working starter motor. Maybe share a beer with it..
The noise is not normal, nor the slow speed. Also the engine is irrelevant, it's the gearbox bell housing that's important. Looks like you (probably) have an earlier shorter bell housing than would be expected on your year bus and engine type. This is far from unusual. Eventually you will learn to work out these things yourself - suppliers can only look in a book and see what should be fitted.
I hope it’s not a normal noise! Always learning. I did give Powerlite the serial number of the one i’m replacing, so in theory, if that one was correct, then the direct replacement for that particular model should be correct. I’d read about gearboxes being changed, which alerted me to the necessity of clarifying that prior to purchase. Not sure what more I could’ve done, other than pay someone else to do all of this Thanks everyone. I’ll take it off now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you had them lined up for a photo, they were obviously very different at the business end yet you went ahead and fitted it. This is...baffling really. A good reason NOT to send the suppliers the video or tell them you fired it up. You could say you realised it was wrong while you were fitting it. Ironically if you'd bought the wrong type of original bush supported starter it physicslly wouldn't have fitted. Sometimes the harder you try the more it goes wrong.
A better side by side. Distance from casing to flywheel edge is 35mm. D1 (my original Bosch) is 35mm. D2 (Powerlite alternative) is 35mm. I can’t tell if any damage has been done. I really only tried starting it for a few seconds a couple of times because it just sounded wrong! What did you want me to “prod”? The original Bosch had been freed up once, but quickly got stuck again, so had it tested by a mechanic and said it needed replacing because it just wound down quickly off a jump-pack. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ha ha yes, the harder you try I uploaded the photo waiting for feedback prior to installing to avoid anything like this. Didn’t get any. Figured the side-by-side passed the test. You aren’t being harsh because I did everything possible to avoid precisely this scenario. Side by side they look different because they are different designs, so that difference meant nothing to me i’m afraid. The 423 & 525 look remarkably similar, which is why I sought advice directly from the manufacturer. JK didn’t even know what the difference was. In the end it is supposed to be a direct swap from the serial number of my old one...so what more could I do? Having no knowledge or experience I trust, but verify as best I can, the people I respect know more than me - which is everyone! ha ha I then have to balance the advice, which is always varied, but much appreciated. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just seen your 35mm measuring...so it is the right starter. In that case all I can think of is somehow it didn't get fitted square which would matter more with self supported style. Bush supported is aimed correctly by the bush in the bell housing so more forgiving. Maybe check you cleaned up the mating surface on the box adequately and nothing else it the fitment is causing it to fit on the cock?
I don’t know what but obviously something is wrong – that doesn’t sound anything like the PowerLite I have (albeit on a 3.9l V8). It looks like you have the correct starter but it’s struggling to turn the engine when it should be spinning it over with little effort and it sounds to me like the solenoid is chattering – the same as the old starter. You’ve checked or replaced the connections at the starter and the earth strap between the chassis and gearbox – is there rust or clean metal where the earth strap bolts to the chassis and what’s under all that insulating tape on the cable at the starter? Are the connections at the battery, both positive and negative, clean and tight?
Good to know they don’t sound like that, ordinarily. Yes, I had checked and cleaned connections and actually changed the gearbox earth (which looked awful). Apart from doing that, everything is as it was when it fired up first time (after 3 months of sitting)...consequently the last time on the old motor haha So @zedders reckons the measurements marry up for it being the right motor. It needed a new motor, as confirmed by a mechanic (who said battery was ok), but there was always the chance ‘something’ else could be a contributing factor. I’ll check that insulation now. As for fitting it, I was working on the assumption that the 2 bolts dictated this, with no margin for error. I’ve not read anything to the contrary but I really don’t know if i’m doing things correctly. It can be orientated the other way but there wasn’t much clearance and I wasn’t convinced the cables would reach. Thank you everyone. I know how hard it is to remotely advise the uninitiated! All that you do for me (your time and ticking over of brains) really is greatly appreciated! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don’t mean to be rude but your bus has a lot of corrosion underneath and if you’ve bolted a new earth strap to a surface covered in rust it won’t make a good connection. The battery can be okay but if the terminals on the battery and the earth aren’t bare metal clean there can be a high resistance. It doesn’t make any difference which way the motor goes, just bolt it so the cables connect as easily as possible – as you’ve done. You said ‘I’ve not had Hot or Cold Start issues but it’s possible that on occasion it hasn’t started immediately (with the above linked clicking sound) but after a couple of attempts it worked just with the key. This might have been going on for a while.’ That sounds like a poor connection(s) to me, at the battery or starter motor or ignition switch.
When it’s the truth, it isn’t rude Thanks for being tactful though. That photo with the flywheel shows the worst of the rust underneath. It’s not all pretty and does need dealing with, but not as bad as that. As for connections. This is the gearbox strap: I stopped short of grinding the metal for fear of sparks, but can do that if you think it to be a good idea. Connections to battery I tinned when I got it and took to bare metal the earth: I’ll have another look at the clamps but pretty sure they are tight. All the other electrics work fine. I’d cleaned up the solenoid ones too. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility the switch isn’t great though. It’s the only thing I haven’t looked at. Thanks for confirming the fitting orientation. At least now I know I can do all of this so i’ll re-check electrics and maybe read up on the ignition switch. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Definitely worth getting a grinder on that, or a file if you’re not happy with the sparks. Personally, I don’t like those quick release battery terminals, I don’t think they can transmit the high current for the starter motor – but that’s just me.
Every one of the connections looks a little suspect. The quick release terminals I agree aren't best, The tinning looks "cold", The clamp on the tinned cable doesn't look tight or the tinning is spikey and stopping good contact. The allen head bolt looks loose, The earth strap connection looks rusty - you can't rely on the bolt if the bolt itself is rusty or in a rusty hole. I'd go round them all, it could be a series of small faults adding up.
I’ll get the grinder out I put the quick release ones on because I was taking the batteries in and out so often it made sense to. But if they aren’t as good i’ll change them - had no idea they wouldn’t be as effective. I’ll take all that connections advice and get to it. The tinning was my first, and only, attempt ha ha Just weird how it would all suddenly go wrong when i’ve never had much of an issue. I’m sure you guys would probably sort this out in a jiffy if you were ‘hands-on’, so I might just get the helpful local mechanic round who has also been advising me. Probably get it all sorted in an hour. Think I did an ignition switch bypass test with the old motor. I’m not getting confused. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm sure we'd have been going through the possibilities as you are. Circuits can test resistance free and appear good until used in anger and once you're mind's on that, rather than one at a time until it manages to start, best bite the bullet, do the lot and absolutely rule it out or achieve that fast spinning start. Yes to the holes lining it up, but if there's a lump of crud/corrosion one side that built up around the old starter on the bell housing face and maybe the new one is different and sits on it, then it could be out of line. The noise...the noise!
My dad suggested that. I put a spanner on and it seems to be tightening up the nut but not turning the pulley. I don’t know how ‘hard’ to try, so stopped. Had the pulley changed back in December. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
