Eric O. wins Oscar for best impersonation of a torque wrench! And yeah, it ain't 1970 anymore, but the old school hammer on that starter could still get you home :) Nice job as always Mr.O.
Nice simple diagnosis and repair. Rebuilding starters is more for the DIYer not pros in this day and age. Brings back memories of starter installation with my own GTO and other car over the years. At least this one didn't use shims... ☺
Hi Eric, I used to run an auto electrical shop and still do starters and alternators along with other electrical repairs. However domestic units are not really economic. So a warrantied unit from NAPA is the best way in my opinion. I do mainly special units now like vintage tractors and equipment, marine. I also do diagnostics like you and Ivan. Some Alternators are economic if the customer can wait. Parts are available I buy mine from Woodautos in England. Fast and relatively cheap and the shipping is usually faster than the US. AMSCO VALLEY FORGE is another supplier in New York. I work in New Brunswick Canada. Most parts are made in India, China or Taiwan. I still have the equipment to rewind magnetos as well but no call for that now.
Definately the only time it pays is on something that isn't available or one something someone wants to keep original on a classic vehicle. Glad folks like you are around to do those jobs.
I remember getting a rebuilt starter motor from Wood Autos a few years ago, far better than an OEM part and the I'm also lucky that they are only a few miles away. My current starter is also getting a bit lazy, might be time to pay them another visit.
I haven’t rebuilt a starter or alt since the early,90’s. There’s just no point anymore. I pray to the rebuilding gods that the one I put on is in good working order. Your doing everything right. 👍
I remember pulling a starter off a running cummins genset on a dredge I worked on. Had been doing the hammer to start thing for a while and we needed to get it rebuilt...and had to keep the dredge running (it was a 24 hour, 6 day a week kind of thing). Not the easiest starter in the world to change, but still remember taping up the 24v leads, and putting in studs in place of the bolts to allow it to slide out without rotating (didn't want the nose to hit the flywheel). Ah to be young and dumb. No other way to have good memories.
I like to rebuild stuff if possible, but i have the advantage i don’t have a garage shop and just do It as a hobby. I enjoy the channel. Learned a lot of it . Thanks and keep up the Good work. Best regards from the Netherlands
I would just do what I always do - order one from RockAuto and slap it in. Then I'd set the old one aside for disposal and for some reason never end up disposing of it. Old parts retire in my garage. I pulled a cranky starter (pun intended) off a riding mower 20 years ago and it's still out there in the garage. Sold the mower 6 years ago, but still have the starter.
I'm just a DIY'er, but install a new or rebuilt starter is my vote, and what I have done a few times over the years for starters & alternators on my own cars. So for me, it's 3 thumbs up for this video, 1 for the content, another for the hand waving fancy scan tools, and another for supplying the "click" sound, so that we know everything is torqued to factory spec, even the screws that hold the plastic battery cover in place.
When I started turning wrenches we rebuilt everything. However, for a shop like yours or any shop, it really isn't economically feasible. A replacement like NAPA with a warranty is a win for both the shop and the customer. I also have done a lot of starter diagnosis with a hammer.
I've had, in the past, my starters rebuilt by a family-owned shop with three generations of excellent reputation under their belts. Full teardown and overhaul, windings tested, case cleaned and repainted, a top-notch job every time. And they don't only tackle automotive, they cover marine, construction equipment, vintage tractors...
@@ranger178 The cost just to park there, anytime, not just for Super Bowl, is minimum $100 but the walk to the entrance is long. They have shuttles for an added fee. Beer is $15 each.
@@frizzlefry1921 It's so expensive...folks are crazy to spend on that. A family affair? No way it is so its turned into mostly adult attendance plus the level of services, food, drink, entertainment is crap.
Correct technique for a junk starter, great video dude love your vids, helps me relax and destress. It's not worth rebuilding them as they're not as reliable as people may think
3:04 When you tapped on the starter with the hammer, you let the factory smoke out of it. Everyone knows that once you let the smoke out of an electric motor, it needs to be replaced.
Since I'm a DYI'er I usually go the repair rather than replace route. My labor is free except for the time I invest in the project. I can understand it would be more economical for a business to replace the part instead. You did good in this repair.
Replacing a starter is repairing a car instead of replacing a car. Repairing a stripped screw is a waste of time. Youu need kniw where to draw the line.
Even though I diy this stuff, I still need my car back on the road. So, for stuff like this, lifetime warranted parts for me from local auto parts store.
I used to rebuild my own stuff back before the interscreen existed. Broke all my 10mm sockets in one day trying to get a 1988 Dodge Caravan alternator apart - the shaft had a 10mm hex to hold it while loosening the pulley nut. In those days, I had no compressor or air tools. After I got it apart, I found that my bearing supplier could only get one of the bearings in lots of 50 or so - so it wasn't possible for me to get what I needed. I did recently rebuild the generator of a '47 Chevy with parts from the interscreen, but I consider that to be the exception. Oh, I did buy a NAPA reman alternator once that never worked - but they did give me my money back, as they didn't have another! I was surprised and very pleased to get the money back. Went to one of the places I usually avoided and got a good reman there.
You got the halftime show beat by a long shot. I loved the oil induced smoke coming off the starter after you hit it. cost over $100 for you to remanufacture. china can do it for under a $1.
I agree, in the olden days we rebuilt, it was easily 25-30% cheaper. Then it stopped being so cheap and like Eric said the warranty difference, when I see your taillights disappear or you replace it and there's a 2 year anytime, anyplace warranty. I'd rather that than the rebuild any day.
@@Hawk1966 that was true for many years but after the pads became semi-metalic it changed. Semi-metalic pads are constantly resurfacing the rotor providing a optimal stopping surface. The drawback being a reduced life for the rotor but consderably better stoping power and distances. All in all Good trade ithink
i was going to rebuild the starter on my 87 f150. got the kit, took the starter of ,got it apart. i found that the last rebuild(some co out of Canada at the time) it had a bad nose cone bushing last time. they bored the bushing over size and offset it so much you could see where the armature was lightly rubbing on one of the fields. so unless you have more starters for parts its not always poss able. Eric keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are 100% correct Mr. O. Why take a chance on rebuilding a (16 year) old starter that may have wear beyond the brushes & solenoid internally. Pop in a new or rebuilt unit with a warranty & have a nice day. What happens if they send you the wrong kit to rebuild the starter? At least the company (Napa) selling the starting can theoretically find the most reliable supplier/vendor because they benefit by not having to pay for junk starters. I'm sure Napa does not want to have to reimburse shops (or individuals) for starters that cannot make through the warranty period.
Napper"high quality " rebuild or Advance or O'Reilly.. You gotta love it, great mechanic and a comedian! 100% correct from a shop standpoint & customers you need to have the warranty protection. No question!
Hi, Mr. O. Nice first guess. Folks in the trade call that a "Bull's Eye!" And, I do like it when you tork everything down to spec. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
I love the way you quickly made that diagnosis, even so far as checking that ground connection and drop testing with your incandescent test light to look for a fading light. It's amazing that even professionals mess that up, without realizing how easy it is. They think a power probe/multimeter without drop testing is just as good, or they forget the ground, or they don't even consider how they might be fooled if posts were loose or if the neutral safety switch was open. If you can get to the starter connections, testing properly as shown, all those issues will be found.
I think an even bigger plus is the customer gets their car back the same day and you get your bay back. Always make sure the person that disconnects the battery knows what they are doing. I had to call the fire dept many years ago because I trusted a guy to disconnect a side post battery while I was under the car. The cable fell right back against the terminal and when I put a wrench on that oily mess of a starter it sparked and caught fire.
Takes me back to the cold winters in the 1970s when it was common for the station I worked at to have over 100 AAA service calls a day. They had one person just answering the phone. As soon as they hung up the phone, it was ringing. If the vehicle wouldn't start they were towed in. Put them on a hoist, hook up a battery charger, heat the oil pan with a torch, drain the 30 weight oil and gasoline from the oil pan, change the filter, put light oil in, start it, park it outside and bring in the next one. Often the spark plugs points and condenser or starters had to be replaced. We didn't have time to repair just replace. We stocked starters. Back then there were only a few starters for Ford GM and Chrysler. It was common to change 10 starters on a -30 day. If things were slow, we might rebuild a starter but when it was busy, just replace it.
@@charliefox7206 I'm in Northern Wisconsin. Many people wouldn't use multi-grade oils because they cost more. General practice was to use a 30 weight oil in the summer and change to a 20 or 10 in the winter back when the oil was changed every 2,000 miles. Many people didn't get the oil changed in time so they still had 30 weight oil in the winter when the temperatures got to negative 20 or 30 F. That 30 weight oil is pretty much solid at those temperatures so the engine wouldn't turn over easily. When the drain plug was removed the oil wouldn't come out so we heated the oil pan before removing the drain plug. People tended to pump the accelerator before trying to start the car which would flood the engine with gasoline which ended up sitting on top of the oil in the pan. If the drain plug was removed first and a torch was used, the gasoline fumes in the crankcase could ignite which could blow the valve covers off.
@@tiredoldmechanic1791 that's is interesting in you area that two grade of oil viscosity would be used. I live in south western Ontario where in the winter can, I say can, be brutal in regards to cold weather. In our local synethic multi grade oil will be used 0W20. My sister in law live in Manitoba. It will be interesting to see what oil viscosity she uses. That for you comments.
@@charliefox7206 back 45 years ago, in upstate NY. (a little east of Mr. O)..had a 1965 ford station wagon . the well below zero mornings would be ..drain the oil into a metal pan, put on the stove , pour back into the engine , start the car. early 20's and no money ..so it didn't seem so bad
When I was a kid back in the 60's working at the gas station we rebuilt starters and generators and even did replacement fuel pump diaphragms. A lot of it had to do with small inventory because the common internal replacement parts fit a wide variety of models. Not any more.
I've forgotten how Pontiac did things differently when I'd seen the last shot, the Torrent written on the hood liner took me back to those final years of Pontiac. Every model was a biodegradable bucket but at least it wasn't another cookie cut GM with a different badge.
Doing appliance repair we do the same thing. We offered a full year warranty because we just OEM parts. It's already better to go that route. We have a few customers who want a cheaper option but most are happier with the comfort of knowing it's a good quality part that won't fail in 6 months.
I could see rebuilding one if you have time and want to learn how it's done. Personally I would only rebuild one if they were pretty hard or too expensive to obtain. Rebuilding at that point might be your only option. I think most customers would rather have you put on a new one so they can have their car back faster. Good demo on troubleshooting a starting problem!
Disconnecting the battery takes all the excitement out of this job. lol I agree with all your logic on the Napa (or any other parts store starter). We do the same thing for the same reasons.
Application specific solutions... Recently, I rebuilt a fuel pump sending unit. The parts stores only carried the full high-priced sending unit -- $450 for OEM. An eBay vendor had just the fuel pump, new ACDelco, for $35. If I ran a commercial shop, I'd go with the full sending-unit. But, as an intense DIY'er, my labor is free, and I know *exactly* the odds of my repair going the distance. I'll replace only the bad spark plug wire, too. But, as a commercial shop? It would be a full tune-up. I was doing some other work in the driveway this past Summer and a younger family member goes, "You're still using air tools? Everyone is going to battery-powered stuff." "Yeah, that's true. But, I wouldn't use such tools enough to make the constant replacement of age-failed batteries worthwhile." "I never thought of it that way..." Apply the correct amount of time, energy, and treasure for the specific situation and requirements at-hand.
Same, I hate battery powered tools. Either have to wait for the battery to charge or the battery doesn't hold a charge long enough to be useful. I never had the guts to invest in air tools. That's why I have wired impact guns. Don't have to worry about having a fully charged battery ever.
@@billclinton6040 "I never had the guts to invest in air tools." Garage sales, estate auctions, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace... Oh, and low-ball 15 sellers to get the one steal of a deal. Snapping turtles get so big just by sitting on the bottom of the pond waiting patiently for the world to swim through their mouths.
I once did the starter on one of these in the Autozone parking lot (not a sponsor). I had it out and brought the core into the store before the customer had finished purchasing the new starter.
For my personal fleet I give my starters and alternators to a local shop that will rebuild them with same day turn around and a warranty. For customers I just buy the reman for the store. I always make them bench test it in front of me. Been burned too many times
There's a local guy here that rebuilds starters and alternators, but I've only ever taken random stuff to him. Like a boat starter a couple of years ago. It looked like a generic GM, but for what he charged for a rebuild there was no reason to deal with trying to figure out what it was. Starters and alternators on modern cars are pretty reliable, so my first instinct for "personal" cars is usually just to throw in a used one. The local recyclers (not u-pick lots) are closer than the local parts stores.
I don't work on many vehicles these days besides my own, but I usually replace it with new. If the old part is rebuildable I'll do that and stuff it on a shelf just to have an extra on hand. That also ensures the new part will never fail and I'm stuck with a bunch of rebuilt crap I'll never use.
That is a good point also. I can re-build Starter and Alternators, but I can't (WON'T) warranty them for the life of the vehicle. It's the same with an Engine, Jasper will have one in front of the vehicle the nest day with a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty. I won't even try to compete, the jasper is less than I can get the parts and pay the Machine shop.
I think the rebuild and "no parts required" is always nice to have - but only advisable in hairy situations like road-rescue or if you do it on your own stuff. You're a business and you must have proper warranty for things. I always love when you have the little hacks that fix things - but when a part is junk, it's junk. Of course I would love to see how that thing failed and how you would fix it Eric. O style. Just keep up the great work. :)
Had a starter / alternator rebuilding shop up the road for 35 years, great shop. Owner retired and left it to his kid, shop closed in 3 years. Gotta know what you are doing even if you can get the parts.
@@Garth2011 or the business was failing for years due to modern alternators and starters being different beasts and when the kids took over they saw the old man had run it into the floor and had to close it down.
Rebuilding starters and alternators today...Pros and cons Cons- finding the parts waiting on delivery all the while the customer has no vehicle. Pros-NONE I used to rebuild my own 20 years ago, but like you said Eric, nobody local carries the parts anymore.
Rebuilding is totally for us do it yourselfers. And even then we may go replace. I was about to rebuild the starter for my '89 GMC S-15 but after taking it apart I said, nope, just too rusty and beat up. Probably was rebuilt before. Just replaced it to avoid the headache of rebuilding and still having issues.
A warning for anyone who works on their car, BEWARE of aftermarket parts these days, specifically Gates and Dayco. I got the gates serpentine belt tensioner for my 05’ 3.3l caravan, the pulley on it was VISIBLY not perfectly round. I told myself it must be my eyes. Sure enough, installed it, engine visibly shook. Returned and ordered a Dayco one (who made the OEM one from the factory back in 05’) received a REBOXED part from a mystery company (no markings on the part) in a Dayco box. Returned and ordered Dayco again. Received a Dayco part this time. Installed and the belt was CHIRPING/SQUEALING. Being sunday night and no other option, I reinstalled my ORIGINAL tensioner from 2005 with a half dead pulley bearing, instantly no more belt squeal. What I plan to do now is replace just the pulley on my original tensioner, since all that is bad is the bearing. Beware beware beware of aftermarket part. Ive been through 3 alternators before , 3 starters, all bad out of the box. Please people, beware. Edit: Honestly even dealer parts aren’t much better. Bough an OEM radiator cap from the dealer 2 weeks ago, 30$, it’s labelled motorad, installed it on an OEM radiator, leaks straight out of the box, had to double-up the rubber seal using the one from another rad cap just to fill the clearance so it wouldn’t leak. (This is a good trick to use). Unbelievable.
I simply replace the bearing in the pulley most times. On my 82 Toyota truck, my 98 Jeep XJ, and our 06 T&C with the 3.3. Just press the bearing out of the pulley and press a new one in. Most of them use a common bearing that is used in a lot of mower deck spindles and I have them on the shelf all the time. My cost on them is less than $5 each.
@@notajp How do you go about pressing out and pressing in the bearings without damaging them? I’ve been trying to press out the bearing from the original tensioner pulley with no luck.
I just this week did a water pump on my own car - Gates GWP3079. Trouble was, the box contained a GWP2079. It wasn't the only one that was boxed wrong either - I went and checked at another store - same. There are only relatively minor differences but one actually bugged me - the telltale hole for a failed shaft seal is on the TOP of the housing so dirt will get in there and onto the seal much more easily. I didn't actually notice until the pump was on and cooling system refilled. But I gave it a dab of silicone to plug it up. I made a complaint and I'm waiting to hear what they're going to do about it.
Mr. O, the new starter from "NAPA, not a sponsor", is totally the way to go!! I just replaced the starter on my 2000, 4Runner, 4WD. What a learning experience!!
Today's automotive starters that I am familiar with are of a non sealed variety. This means the schmoo like your current patient's will get inside and eventually back in the windings mixed with carbon from the brushes. So to do a good rebuild you have to use some kind of solvent which if it can rinse the schmoo is probably strong enough to damage the insulation on the windings. Windings in a modern starter are hardly of a robust nature. I swear some must be wound with #28 conductors. To clean it gently takes time as well as the rest of the r and r leaving you with a questionable product in the end. So it is just a better choice to spring for a seventy dollar starter and not even have to worry about the core. Now this whole equation changes if you are in the marine world, or heavy equipment where a badge will increase the parts price tenfold. If you are into relics of the above categories well your choices are limited shall we say.
Rebuilding starters and alternators on the late 70ies, getting the parts not easy and even if you did get them you would not know it the armature had a dead spot in the commutator and now that they did away with the real thick commutator vs the super thin coated copper ones not worth taking a chance and holding up a lift. The warranty can't be beat too. You did the right thing by the customer, that is key.
I agree. You could R&R one of those in you Sunday goin to church clothes. They were so easy to change you almost hoped they would go bad but they never did.😁
When I went through A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) school instructor taught us how to rebuilt starters & Alternators. Fun fact......General Aviation aircraft use regular AC DELCO alternators which the selling company slaps their own sticker (like Aerotech) on them and then in turn charge the buyer 4 times a regular one would cost. It's all got to do with LIABILITY!!
Most general aviation runs 24 volts which is common with construction equipment I.e. same heavy duty alternators. Local aviation shop had to raise prices when somebody figured out the aviation alternators were cheaper than the AC Delco alternators on their Caterpillar stationary engines.
In the eighties I worked at a rebuild shop and we had one customer that we did light aircraft starters and alternators. We did them on the side as you had to be licensed by the FAA, the customer stated that he rebuilt it if ever there was an issue.There was only small things that were done that made them legal for aircraft otherwise they were the same as automotive. Case bolts safety wires. Loc tite or silicon on internal nuts for vibration and internal screens for debris and liquids . Fun times working for that old man, learned a lot. He took over the shop from his father in law who opened the shop in the nineteen twenties. Shop is still there to this day but different owners.
Boy, that Pontiac has a good bit of rust prevention! I was hoping, you would tap that starter. Love your channel. You, work like I do.😀 I love, the torque specs!😃
I was a little disappointed at first, but I went back and listened more closely, and I heard him wrong. So, if you thought he was going to tap the starter with his scan tool ...
+1 For a brief moment, I was thinking that is one MASSIVE oil leak and then I realized it was rust prevention. The coverage was great - zero corrosion!!!!
My Dad showed me how to rebuild a starter in 1973. At some point later in life I replaced the brushes on a K car. Drive my vehicles to about 200,000 miles. All American. I haven't had a starter go bad since I was a young. But if I have one go bad at this stage in life it will be replaced with a new one.
You own a business, so customer service (cost/Turnaround time) is very important, and a new starter fulfills that immediately. The warranty is just an added bonus to the customer.
I view it like complete struts (assembled) vs strut and removing replacing coils/mounts. Unless there's a specific strut that you want that doesn't come as preassembled unit. The additional cost of the complete unit is offset by the time to swap everything over and everything is new.
Remember your 3 starter Kia Minivan episode? I've done 4 starters in 2 yrs on a Kia Rondo V6, 2 new Chinese and 2 Remy Rebuilds and the last one the power post snapped off (which was not over tightened). So they're all crap and will get a starter rebuilt locally because I'd rather have quality rather than quantity at this point.
Awesome and satisfying watching you work; actually prefer the simple or "classic" jobs. 🤣 Something I could actually take on without anxiety. No point waiting for rebuild kit , especially when you need the car and a rebuilt or new is readily available the same day with the long warranty. 👍👍👍 Is that oil coating part of a leaky cam cover?
Putting on a new or reman thru Napa is better than doing a rebuilt starter... Your covered on warranty and as a shop your also covered on labor if it comes back. Napa will pay you for having to redo the repair if it fails in a certain period of time after your until repair. Great choice Eric... I enjoy watching your videos..
Before I retired, back in the 70's when I was a farm equipment mechanic we used to rebuild everything on the machine. Anything electrical from magneto's to distributors was rebuilt in house as well most pump assemblies ...water pumps, PS pumps, fuel pumps, fuel injection pumps, etc. Today that doesn't exist and techs today don't get first hand knowledge what designs are good and which are bad...what can you do, just different times.
2002 jeep grand cherokee limited quadratrac ,,, yup ,,, 247j tc ,,, rebuild thats what im gonna do next ,,, i think , i like the work ethics you have , thanks for another great vid
I agree with your recommendation Eric. However I do have a question. You mentioned the two warranty from Napa and they would pay for repairs if the starter broke down within two years. Yet your previous video was regarding a Toyota you put a drive shaft in about a year ago that the carrier bearing went bad and Napa won't stand behind it since it no longer was sourcing drive shafts from the same supplier. You had to go to bat for your customer with Dorman to get the drive shaft covered. So really how good is Napa's warranty?
I believe the issue was that both NAPA and Dorman were out of stock on the drive shaft being replaced. Eric knew somebody at Dorman, explained the situation, and the guy at Dorman got the company to expedite getting a new one. It sounded to me like NAPA would warrant the bad drive shaft but didn't have one to replace it.
@@sicily6740 We will never know the whole story, but my NAPA outside sales Rep gets the ball rolling for me, and sometimes has to push the ball back into my court and put me in direct contact with the vendor to finalize the transaction, sometimes that involves providing invoice copies, and signed Repair Orders.
As an Autocare, I.ll bet, NAPA will stand good for a labor claim. I’m pretty sure that originates in the store, but Corporate HQ issues the account credit. It costs us a fair chunk of change to become eligible (In Certifications), along with a substantial Subscription Fee to offer that security.
I used to change over brushes and I still do on my own cars, but yes, for customers the price point is so close between new brushes and new starter these days to justify new (given the guarantee that comes with the rest of it - bearings, solenoid, windings). As an added bonus the scrap pile pays for christmas.
Well it's the best for the northern rust belt take your used motor oil on every oil change spray the under side with it it's free rust proofing and you get rid of the oil 👍
Back in the mid 1970's we just put in a starter from the parts store, faster, easier and more economical. I think over the past 40 plus years I rebuilt maybe 10-30 starters and it was the reason that the parts store did not have one. It was also always a GM unit with a separate solenoid and actually most if not all of them just needed a new solenoid. Now a days I just get replace the starter with a parts store starter and get on to the next one
OMG!!! I do NOT believe it!!! 3:00 I laughed so hard I was red in the face gasping for air. My wife came to see what was wrong. Eric hit it with a hammer and "fixed" it. The canonical joke. "If it is broke, just give it a whack." Thanks so much for this Eric.
Is it really that funny? That's the standard way to try and make a stuck starter motor go. It's totally normal. People who are too cheap to replace a failing starter will keep a hammer in their vehicle just for the purpose of hitting the starter.
The puff of smoke was pretty definitive. Since I'm a one man dog and pony show, the parts I use are covered by whatever warranty is offered by the provider of the parts. More often than not, the junk parts available these days will take a shit prematurely, so the cost of the part will be eaten by the parts store but I still charge labor to change it again. Parts fail way too often through no fault of mine and my time is valuable. I understand customer service, which is a top priority for me, but I'm not going to lose money because people keep electing corrupt politicians who have forced just about all manufacturing out of this country to the point you can no longer get quality parts. Elections have consequences and people need to wake TF up. That's not exactly where I had intended to go with my comment, but its the truth. Thanks for the video.
When it started I saw a puff of smoke come out of the starter. It mY have been a direct short internally as there's oil all around and after starting the smoke stopped.
99% chance the brushes are worn down to nothing with brush holder hitting the commutator, banging them jars it enough to make contact and take off again. it may or may not start again without being hit, maybe once to dozens of times. the commutator may be eaten up if the brush tension and conduction has been poor for a long time, but it could ok with a light polishing and new brushes.
What a lot of people don't realize too is that sometimes even the starter design doesn't lend itself to be repaired, example my Chevy S10, I'm sure there's a rebuild kit somewhere but inside the starter there's a planetary gear set and the big outer gear or the sun gear as it's called is made of plastic, when that strips all the teeth, your starter is dead in the water even if your starter motor is good, starter will spin but it won't turn the engine over, already had it happened to a few Nissans with the 3.0 and 3.3 V6's and happened to my Chevy S10 with the 4 cylinder
Can’t stop looking at that oil filter and wondering how many years has it been since that filter been changed. As far as the starter, is it cost effective to have it rebuilt when you can buy one with a warranty. Sometimes the level of difficulty in removing the starter your better off with a new one.
I do the same, Eric. If I'm working on a customer's car, where I'm charging for my time, I install a new/rebuilt unit. It's invariably faster and therefore cheaper for the customer. If I'm working on my own stuff, I'll tear them apart and rebuild them if possible. Why? One, I enjoy great satisfaction rebuilding stuff and, two, my time is cheap FOR ME.
@@lukem7203 Yeah, like he’s showed a thousand times, and he even says in the video, undercoating in his area only works if it s put on frickin everything. And yes, they use an oil based undercoating there. Watch some of his older videos.
@@KJ-kw7gh I live in the rust belt too and very familiar with old oil used for under coating. That filter is just plain crusty like been on there a long time. If you look at the video you'll also see clean newer looking power steering lines that have not been coated
I've seen a lot of rebuilt at shops. I say over the years 80 percent failure at shops. I had same result discount stores. But the warranty allows me to take it back get a new one. Usually the same day. Have a great day. More!
What was leaking (oil) on that Torrent besides everything? That was quite a oily mess... looks like it "could" of shorted the starter out as the old one smoked when you love tapped it.
Eric, you mention roadside assistance covered in your customer warranty. Is that standard with your repairs? If so, that is very unusual today and a terrific bonus for your customers. I hope they appreciate the gem they have in your shop. Maybe we could see a roadside assistance call? I know it’s a pain but the PEOPLE DEMAND IIT. Kidding… PLEASE! PS: Your videos are the only ones I thumbs up when I start watching. Because I know.
![OsamaSon - ik what you did last summer [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4DIQDnu3mr4/mqdefault.jpg)
I'll take SMA over watching the Super Bowl any day!!!!
Hear hear
Unless the Bills were in it , right EricO
Eric O. wins Oscar for best impersonation of a torque wrench! And yeah, it ain't 1970 anymore, but the old school hammer on that starter could still get you home :) Nice job as always Mr.O.
That old school hammer on the starter would get you home and work until payday.
True for those of us who understand it's likely a One time thing.
A new SMA video!? What football game
I heard dat
Don't need to see any kneeling and masks
Saved this vid for my halftime show👍🏻
People still watch that?
Half time just got better!
Nice simple diagnosis and repair. Rebuilding starters is more for the DIYer not pros in this day and age. Brings back memories of starter installation with my own GTO and other car over the years. At least this one didn't use shims... ☺
Hi Eric, I used to run an auto electrical shop and still do starters and alternators along with other electrical repairs. However domestic units are not really economic. So a warrantied unit from NAPA is the best way in my opinion. I do mainly special units now like vintage tractors and equipment, marine. I also do diagnostics like you and Ivan. Some Alternators are economic if the customer can wait. Parts are available I buy mine from Woodautos in England. Fast and relatively cheap and the shipping is usually faster than the US. AMSCO VALLEY FORGE is another supplier in New York. I work in New Brunswick Canada. Most parts are made in India, China or Taiwan. I still have the equipment to rewind magnetos as well but no call for that now.
Definately the only time it pays is on something that isn't available or one something someone wants to keep original on a classic vehicle. Glad folks like you are around to do those jobs.
Where are u located?? Those are my fave guys too!
I remember getting a rebuilt starter motor from Wood Autos a few years ago, far better than an OEM part and the I'm also lucky that they are only a few miles away. My current starter is also getting a bit lazy, might be time to pay them another visit.
Isn't there an aviation market for the magnetos? Or does that require specific certification perhaps?
You guys that work in auto electrical are wizards to me.
"The big fancy scan tool" gets me every time 😂 poor Scotty
@Jon Black Toyota are the best everything else is junk
Poor Scotty has 4 million subs. He's an entertaining fellow.
He's also responsible for millions of improper repairs. What a good guy, saving people money while endangering them and everyone around them lol
I wish all Mechanics went above and beyond like you do by cleaning stuff off before reassembly. God Bless Eric. O and America...
I haven’t rebuilt a starter or alt since the early,90’s. There’s just no point anymore. I pray to the rebuilding gods that the one I put on is in good working order. Your doing everything right. 👍
I remember pulling a starter off a running cummins genset on a dredge I worked on. Had been doing the hammer to start thing for a while and we needed to get it rebuilt...and had to keep the dredge running (it was a 24 hour, 6 day a week kind of thing). Not the easiest starter in the world to change, but still remember taping up the 24v leads, and putting in studs in place of the bolts to allow it to slide out without rotating (didn't want the nose to hit the flywheel). Ah to be young and dumb. No other way to have good memories.
I did this on a international farm tractor. Seemed like a good solution to the problem at the time
Doing a bit of crazy keeps life spicy.
@@stevebot exactly, no point to life without the spice..
Bad ideas always make the best memories.
Age and wisdom doesn't come without youth and stupidity.
I like to rebuild stuff if possible, but i have the advantage i don’t have a garage shop and just do It as a hobby.
I enjoy the channel. Learned a lot of it . Thanks and keep up the Good work. Best regards from the Netherlands
I would just do what I always do - order one from RockAuto and slap it in. Then I'd set the old one aside for disposal and for some reason never end up disposing of it. Old parts retire in my garage. I pulled a cranky starter (pun intended) off a riding mower 20 years ago and it's still out there in the garage. Sold the mower 6 years ago, but still have the starter.
I'm the same way, I have a shed full of stuff, mostly junk according to better half, but I never know when I might need something from in there.
I'm just a DIY'er, but install a new or rebuilt starter is my vote, and what I have done a few times over the years for starters & alternators on my own cars. So for me, it's 3 thumbs up for this video, 1 for the content, another for the hand waving fancy scan tools, and another for supplying the "click" sound, so that we know everything is torqued to factory spec, even the screws that hold the plastic battery cover in place.
When I started turning wrenches we rebuilt everything. However, for a shop like yours or any shop, it really isn't economically feasible. A replacement like NAPA with a warranty is a win for both the shop and the customer. I also have done a lot of starter diagnosis with a hammer.
I've had, in the past, my starters rebuilt by a family-owned shop with three generations of excellent reputation under their belts. Full teardown and overhaul, windings tested, case cleaned and repainted, a top-notch job every time. And they don't only tackle automotive, they cover marine, construction equipment, vintage tractors...
You are one of the lucky ones having found a rebuilding shop that you can trust.
Yes, and I've bought a five course dinner for two for $50, but that was in a land called "Long Long Ago" and they do things differently there.
The SMA videos are more entertaining than the "big game"
Yes...much more and a lot less B.S.
what there was a big game i must have missed it darn
@@ranger178 The cost just to park there, anytime, not just for Super Bowl, is minimum $100 but the walk to the entrance is long. They have shuttles for an added fee. Beer is $15 each.
@@Garth2011 That’s unreal!
@@frizzlefry1921 It's so expensive...folks are crazy to spend on that. A family affair? No way it is so its turned into mostly adult attendance plus the level of services, food, drink, entertainment is crap.
Watched this a little bit ago just went to start my silverado this morning and had to change my starter. What a coincidence. great video
Correct technique for a junk starter, great video dude love your vids, helps me relax and destress. It's not worth rebuilding them as they're not as reliable as people may think
3:04 When you tapped on the starter with the hammer, you let the factory smoke out of it. Everyone knows that once you let the smoke out of an electric motor, it needs to be replaced.
Since I'm a DYI'er I usually go the repair rather than replace route. My labor is free except for the time I invest in the project. I can understand it would be more economical for a business to replace the part instead. You did good in this repair.
Replacing a starter is repairing a car instead of replacing a car. Repairing a stripped screw is a waste of time. Youu need kniw where to draw the line.
@@psdaengr911 That's not a good comparison as a starter is a wear item.
Even though I diy this stuff, I still need my car back on the road. So, for stuff like this, lifetime warranted parts for me from local auto parts store.
I used to rebuild my own stuff back before the interscreen existed. Broke all my 10mm sockets in one day trying to get a 1988 Dodge Caravan alternator apart - the shaft had a 10mm hex to hold it while loosening the pulley nut. In those days, I had no compressor or air tools. After I got it apart, I found that my bearing supplier could only get one of the bearings in lots of 50 or so - so it wasn't possible for me to get what I needed. I did recently rebuild the generator of a '47 Chevy with parts from the interscreen, but I consider that to be the exception. Oh, I did buy a NAPA reman alternator once that never worked - but they did give me my money back, as they didn't have another! I was surprised and very pleased to get the money back. Went to one of the places I usually avoided and got a good reman there.
You got the halftime show beat by a long shot. I loved the oil induced smoke coming off the starter after you hit it. cost over $100 for you to remanufacture. china can do it for under a $1.
Who needs the Super Bowl when you have a South Main Auto video to watch!
I agree, in the olden days we rebuilt, it was easily 25-30% cheaper. Then it stopped being so cheap and like Eric said the warranty difference, when I see your taillights disappear or you replace it and there's a 2 year anytime, anyplace warranty. I'd rather that than the rebuild any day.
You’re right. As a mechanic myself I’d rather just replace it. Even on my own vehicle. Even an easy can be a pain when ya gotta do it more than Once
You are so right. Kind of like turning rotors and drums. It used to be economical but now everything is made to R&R.
@@raybates3119 I remember when they'd turn your rotors 2-3 times before saying that you needed new ones.
@@Hawk1966 that was true for many years but after the pads became semi-metalic it changed. Semi-metalic pads are constantly resurfacing the rotor providing a optimal stopping surface. The drawback being a reduced life for the rotor but consderably better stoping power and distances. All in all Good trade ithink
i was going to rebuild the starter on my 87 f150. got the kit, took the starter of ,got it apart. i found that the last rebuild(some co out of Canada at the time) it had a bad nose cone bushing last time. they bored the bushing over size and offset it so much you could see where the armature was lightly rubbing on one of the fields. so unless you have more starters for parts its not always poss able. Eric keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If things continue like they have been in this country, I see rebuild shops coming back in a big way.
Like Cuba.
@@bigpicturethinking5620 Putting Hyundai engines in 50’s GM’s
You are 100% correct Mr. O. Why take a chance on rebuilding a (16 year) old starter that may have wear beyond the brushes & solenoid internally. Pop in a new or rebuilt unit with a warranty & have a nice day. What happens if they send you the wrong kit to rebuild the starter? At least the company (Napa) selling the starting can theoretically find the most reliable supplier/vendor because they benefit by not having to pay for junk starters. I'm sure Napa does not want to have to reimburse shops (or individuals) for starters that cannot make through the warranty period.
Napper"high quality " rebuild or Advance or O'Reilly.. You gotta love it, great mechanic and a comedian! 100% correct from a shop standpoint & customers you need to have the warranty protection. No question!
Hi, Mr. O. Nice first guess. Folks in the trade call that a "Bull's Eye!" And, I do like it when you tork everything down to spec. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
I love the way you quickly made that diagnosis, even so far as checking that ground connection and drop testing with your incandescent test light to look for a fading light. It's amazing that even professionals mess that up, without realizing how easy it is. They think a power probe/multimeter without drop testing is just as good, or they forget the ground, or they don't even consider how they might be fooled if posts were loose or if the neutral safety switch was open. If you can get to the starter connections, testing properly as shown, all those issues will be found.
Separates the men from the boys!
Loved seeing the smoke come out of the end of that starter after using percussive maintenance on it!
I think an even bigger plus is the customer gets their car back the same day and you get your bay back. Always make sure the person that disconnects the battery knows what they are doing. I had to call the fire dept many years ago because I trusted a guy to disconnect a side post battery while I was under the car. The cable fell right back against the terminal and when I put a wrench on that oily mess of a starter it sparked and caught fire.
I never had a problem.. but i put a shop towel on the positive term
Eric, The last time I rebuilt anything was a 1982 Audi 4000S Alternator, then purchasing new became the way of the times
.
Takes me back to the cold winters in the 1970s when it was common for the station I worked at to have over 100 AAA service calls a day. They had one person just answering the phone. As soon as they hung up the phone, it was ringing. If the vehicle wouldn't start they were towed in. Put them on a hoist, hook up a battery charger, heat the oil pan with a torch, drain the 30 weight oil and gasoline from the oil pan, change the filter, put light oil in, start it, park it outside and bring in the next one. Often the spark plugs points and condenser or starters had to be replaced. We didn't have time to repair just replace. We stocked starters. Back then there were only a few starters for Ford GM and Chrysler. It was common to change 10 starters on a -30 day. If things were slow, we might rebuild a starter but when it was busy, just replace it.
"....heat the oil pan with a torch,..." what is your location?
@@charliefox7206 I'm in Northern Wisconsin. Many people wouldn't use multi-grade oils because they cost more. General practice was to use a 30 weight oil in the summer and change to a 20 or 10 in the winter back when the oil was changed every 2,000 miles. Many people didn't get the oil changed in time so they still had 30 weight oil in the winter when the temperatures got to negative 20 or 30 F. That 30 weight oil is pretty much solid at those temperatures so the engine wouldn't turn over easily. When the drain plug was removed the oil wouldn't come out so we heated the oil pan before removing the drain plug. People tended to pump the accelerator before trying to start the car which would flood the engine with gasoline which ended up sitting on top of the oil in the pan. If the drain plug was removed first and a torch was used, the gasoline fumes in the crankcase could ignite which could blow the valve covers off.
@@tiredoldmechanic1791 that's is interesting in you area that two grade of oil viscosity would be used. I live in south western Ontario where in the winter can, I say can, be brutal in regards to cold weather. In our local synethic multi grade oil will be used 0W20. My sister in law live in Manitoba. It will be interesting to see what oil viscosity she uses. That for you comments.
@@charliefox7206 back 45 years ago, in upstate NY. (a little east of Mr. O)..had a 1965 ford station wagon . the well below zero mornings would be ..drain the oil into a metal pan, put on the stove , pour back into the engine , start the car. early 20's and no money ..so it didn't seem so bad
@@dano336 Not so bad it the time. I would hate to tell you what I did with used motor oil. It's good legislation in now place.
Words of the wise by Eric O.
When I was a kid back in the 60's working at the gas station we rebuilt starters and generators and even did replacement fuel pump diaphragms. A lot of it had to do with small inventory because the common internal replacement parts fit a wide variety of models. Not any more.
In a hundred years kids won't know what a starter is, will look at this video and wonder why that greasy stuff is on the bottom.
I remember spending somewhere between ten and fifteen bucks for a rebuild kit for the GM alternators. Cheap and easy.
I've forgotten how Pontiac did things differently when I'd seen the last shot, the Torrent written on the hood liner took me back to those final years of Pontiac. Every model was a biodegradable bucket but at least it wasn't another cookie cut GM with a different badge.
Doing appliance repair we do the same thing. We offered a full year warranty because we just OEM parts. It's already better to go that route. We have a few customers who want a cheaper option but most are happier with the comfort of knowing it's a good quality part that won't fail in 6 months.
I could see rebuilding one if you have time and want to learn how it's done. Personally I would only rebuild one if they were pretty hard or too expensive to obtain. Rebuilding at that point might be your only option. I think most customers would rather have you put on a new one so they can have their car back faster. Good demo on troubleshooting a starting problem!
When I was younger my dad and I did rebuild starters alternators breaks. But now a days it's easier and cheaper to buy rebuilds.
Disconnecting the battery takes all the excitement out of this job. lol I agree with all your logic on the Napa (or any other parts store starter). We do the same thing for the same reasons.
Yea I used to do a lot of work and not disconnect but with all the electrical stuff anymore it’s not worth it
I subscribe to SMA and Vehcor because you both produce very thorough products. Excellent viewing gentlemen, both experts in your own fields!
Especially if you short out a board or electronic control
Def cool to see that two of my fave RUclips gents watch each others content.
Mrs.O looking sharp in the ball cap.
Application specific solutions...
Recently, I rebuilt a fuel pump sending unit. The parts stores only carried the full high-priced sending unit -- $450 for OEM. An eBay vendor had just the fuel pump, new ACDelco, for $35. If I ran a commercial shop, I'd go with the full sending-unit. But, as an intense DIY'er, my labor is free, and I know *exactly* the odds of my repair going the distance. I'll replace only the bad spark plug wire, too. But, as a commercial shop? It would be a full tune-up.
I was doing some other work in the driveway this past Summer and a younger family member goes, "You're still using air tools? Everyone is going to battery-powered stuff."
"Yeah, that's true. But, I wouldn't use such tools enough to make the constant replacement of age-failed batteries worthwhile."
"I never thought of it that way..."
Apply the correct amount of time, energy, and treasure for the specific situation and requirements at-hand.
Same, I hate battery powered tools. Either have to wait for the battery to charge or the battery doesn't hold a charge long enough to be useful. I never had the guts to invest in air tools. That's why I have wired impact guns. Don't have to worry about having a fully charged battery ever.
@@billclinton6040 "I never had the guts to invest in air tools."
Garage sales, estate auctions, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace...
Oh, and low-ball 15 sellers to get the one steal of a deal. Snapping turtles get so big just by sitting on the bottom of the pond waiting patiently for the world to swim through their mouths.
I agree with you, Eric. There's a difference between doing something that you can, and doing something in a business setting, where time is money.
Nice of GM to include a built in starter anti-rust system.
Ze Germans also have a nice chassis anti rust system also!!!
What? The heavy coating of oil?
He said it was just treated with anti rust
That's NHO undercoating
That starter lube that leaked out of old one.
That oil filter cracked me up the whole time.
I once did the starter on one of these in the Autozone parking lot (not a sponsor). I had it out and brought the core into the store before the customer had finished purchasing the new starter.
For my personal fleet I give my starters and alternators to a local shop that will rebuild them with same day turn around and a warranty. For customers I just buy the reman for the store. I always make them bench test it in front of me. Been burned too many times
There's a local guy here that rebuilds starters and alternators, but I've only ever taken random stuff to him. Like a boat starter a couple of years ago. It looked like a generic GM, but for what he charged for a rebuild there was no reason to deal with trying to figure out what it was.
Starters and alternators on modern cars are pretty reliable, so my first instinct for "personal" cars is usually just to throw in a used one. The local recyclers (not u-pick lots) are closer than the local parts stores.
I don't work on many vehicles these days besides my own, but I usually replace it with new. If the old part is rebuildable I'll do that and stuff it on a shelf just to have an extra on hand. That also ensures the new part will never fail and I'm stuck with a bunch of rebuilt crap I'll never use.
It's not always about the price. Sometimes it's about the value built into the new part over the "rebuilt" part
That is a good point also. I can re-build Starter and Alternators, but I can't (WON'T) warranty them for the life of the vehicle. It's the same with an Engine, Jasper will have one in front of the vehicle the nest day with a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty. I won't even try to compete, the jasper is less than I can get the parts and pay the Machine shop.
I think the rebuild and "no parts required" is always nice to have - but only advisable in hairy situations like road-rescue or if you do it on your own stuff. You're a business and you must have proper warranty for things.
I always love when you have the little hacks that fix things - but when a part is junk, it's junk.
Of course I would love to see how that thing failed and how you would fix it Eric. O style.
Just keep up the great work. :)
Had a starter / alternator rebuilding shop up the road for 35 years, great shop. Owner retired and left it to his kid, shop closed in 3 years. Gotta know what you are doing even if you can get the parts.
Sad...that is the typical next gen...lazy types who prefer going to a job vs. running a business.
@@Garth2011 or the business was failing for years due to modern alternators and starters being different beasts and when the kids took over they saw the old man had run it into the floor and had to close it down.
Eric o livin on the edge and still keepin up with the super bowl!!!!!!!
Rebuilding starters and alternators today...Pros and cons
Cons- finding the parts
waiting on delivery
all the while the customer has no vehicle.
Pros-NONE
I used to rebuild my own 20 years ago, but like you said Eric, nobody local carries the parts anymore.
Rebuilding is totally for us do it yourselfers. And even then we may go replace. I was about to rebuild the starter for my '89 GMC S-15 but after taking it apart I said, nope, just too rusty and beat up. Probably was rebuilt before. Just replaced it to avoid the headache of rebuilding and still having issues.
A warning for anyone who works on their car, BEWARE of aftermarket parts these days, specifically Gates and Dayco. I got the gates serpentine belt tensioner for my 05’ 3.3l caravan, the pulley on it was VISIBLY not perfectly round. I told myself it must be my eyes. Sure enough, installed it, engine visibly shook. Returned and ordered a Dayco one (who made the OEM one from the factory back in 05’) received a REBOXED part from a mystery company (no markings on the part) in a Dayco box. Returned and ordered Dayco again. Received a Dayco part this time. Installed and the belt was CHIRPING/SQUEALING. Being sunday night and no other option, I reinstalled my ORIGINAL tensioner from 2005 with a half dead pulley bearing, instantly no more belt squeal. What I plan to do now is replace just the pulley on my original tensioner, since all that is bad is the bearing. Beware beware beware of aftermarket part. Ive been through 3 alternators before , 3 starters, all bad out of the box. Please people, beware. Edit: Honestly even dealer parts aren’t much better. Bough an OEM radiator cap from the dealer 2 weeks ago, 30$, it’s labelled motorad, installed it on an OEM radiator, leaks straight out of the box, had to double-up the rubber seal using the one from another rad cap just to fill the clearance so it wouldn’t leak. (This is a good trick to use). Unbelievable.
Gates uses china parts for their tensioners and water pumps. They're only good for their belts.
I simply replace the bearing in the pulley most times. On my 82 Toyota truck, my 98 Jeep XJ, and our 06 T&C with the 3.3. Just press the bearing out of the pulley and press a new one in. Most of them use a common bearing that is used in a lot of mower deck spindles and I have them on the shelf all the time. My cost on them is less than $5 each.
@@notajp How do you go about pressing out and pressing in the bearings without damaging them? I’ve been trying to press out the bearing from the original tensioner pulley with no luck.
I just this week did a water pump on my own car - Gates GWP3079. Trouble was, the box contained a GWP2079. It wasn't the only one that was boxed wrong either - I went and checked at another store - same. There are only relatively minor differences but one actually bugged me - the telltale hole for a failed shaft seal is on the TOP of the housing so dirt will get in there and onto the seal much more easily. I didn't actually notice until the pump was on and cooling system refilled. But I gave it a dab of silicone to plug it up. I made a complaint and I'm waiting to hear what they're going to do about it.
@@PsychoticBedroomRecordings Many are now moulded around the bearing and can't be replaced.
Mr. O, the new starter from "NAPA, not a sponsor", is totally the way to go!! I just replaced the starter on my 2000, 4Runner, 4WD. What a learning experience!!
Today's automotive starters that I am familiar with are of a non sealed variety. This means the schmoo like your current patient's will get inside and eventually back in the windings mixed with carbon from the brushes. So to do a good rebuild you have to use some kind of solvent which if it can rinse the schmoo is probably strong enough to damage the insulation on the windings. Windings in a modern starter are hardly of a robust nature. I swear some must be wound with #28 conductors. To clean it gently takes time as well as the rest of the r and r leaving you with a questionable product in the end. So it is just a better choice to spring for a seventy dollar starter and not even have to worry about the core. Now this whole equation changes if you are in the marine world, or heavy equipment where a badge will increase the parts price tenfold. If you are into relics of the above categories well your choices are limited shall we say.
Rebuilding starters and alternators on the late 70ies, getting the parts not easy and even if you did get them you would not know it the armature had a dead spot in the commutator and now that they did away with the real thick commutator vs the super thin coated copper ones not worth taking a chance and holding up a lift. The warranty can't be beat too. You did the right thing by the customer, that is key.
Chrysler slant six was the easiest starter to replace.
I agree. You could R&R one of those in you Sunday goin to church clothes. They were so easy to change you almost hoped they would go bad but they never did.😁
I think for a customer peace of mind is right with that warranty ! For myself I'd rebuild though ! Love your channel and thank you Eric !
When I went through A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) school instructor taught us how to rebuilt starters & Alternators. Fun fact......General Aviation aircraft use regular AC DELCO alternators which the selling company slaps their own sticker (like Aerotech) on them and then in turn charge the buyer 4 times a regular one would cost. It's all got to do with LIABILITY!!
Most general aviation runs 24 volts which is common with construction equipment I.e. same heavy duty alternators. Local aviation shop had to raise prices when somebody figured out the aviation alternators were cheaper than the AC Delco alternators on their Caterpillar stationary engines.
In the eighties I worked at a rebuild shop and we had one customer that we did light aircraft starters and alternators. We did them on the side as you had to be licensed by the FAA, the customer stated that he rebuilt it if ever there was an issue.There was only small things that were done that made them legal for aircraft otherwise they were the same as automotive. Case bolts safety wires. Loc tite or silicon on internal nuts for vibration and internal screens for debris and liquids . Fun times working for that old man, learned a lot. He took over the shop from his father in law who opened the shop in the nineteen twenties. Shop is still there to this day but different owners.
AKA insurance premiums
Do not do work on customer vehicles anymore but agree with your decision - things are not like they use to be....
Boy, that Pontiac has a good bit of rust prevention! I was hoping, you would tap that starter. Love your channel. You, work like I do.😀 I love, the torque specs!😃
I was a little disappointed at first, but I went back and listened more closely, and I heard him wrong. So, if you thought he was going to tap the starter with his scan tool ...
+1 For a brief moment, I was thinking that is one MASSIVE oil leak and then I realized it was rust prevention. The coverage was great - zero corrosion!!!!
My Dad showed me how to rebuild a starter in 1973. At some point later in life I replaced the brushes on a K car. Drive my vehicles to about 200,000 miles. All American. I haven't had a starter go bad since I was a young. But if I have one go bad at this stage in life it will be replaced with a new one.
I do all my own repairs, and I offer a lifetime warranty! If any part on my car fails, while I own it, I will replace it. No questions asked!!!!!
Every one is not a mechanic.
@@thecarsectionthecarsection6420 I'm not a mechanic either, I just enjoy working on my own vehicles.
Yea I’ve been doing mine every since I’ve been driving, I’m 65 this year and getting so I sometimes hire it done
Yep I work in my own vehicles also and if I can’t Eric gets them
@@thecarsectionthecarsection6420 Many mechanics have spouses. The hardest customer to keep pleased is the one who gets their work done "free" .
You own a business, so customer service (cost/Turnaround time) is very important, and a new starter fulfills that immediately. The warranty is just an added bonus to the customer.
I view it like complete struts (assembled) vs strut and removing replacing coils/mounts. Unless there's a specific strut that you want that doesn't come as preassembled unit. The additional cost of the complete unit is offset by the time to swap everything over and everything is new.
And, your not defusing and re-arming a bomb. 😲😲
Seems like the quick strut springs are not always well calibrated to the vehicle and the vehicle handling is sometimes compromised.
Remember your 3 starter Kia Minivan episode? I've done 4 starters in 2 yrs on a Kia Rondo V6, 2 new Chinese and 2 Remy Rebuilds and the last one the power post snapped off (which was not over tightened). So they're all crap and will get a starter rebuilt locally because I'd rather have quality rather than quantity at this point.
Awesome and satisfying watching you work; actually prefer the simple or "classic" jobs. 🤣 Something I could actually take on without anxiety. No point waiting for rebuild kit , especially when you need the car and a rebuilt or new is readily available the same day with the long warranty. 👍👍👍 Is that oil coating part of a leaky cam cover?
It’s a GM 3400 V6.......everything is leaking.
Putting on a new or reman thru Napa is better than doing a rebuilt starter... Your covered on warranty and as a shop your also covered on labor if it comes back. Napa will pay you for having to redo the repair if it fails in a certain period of time after your until repair. Great choice Eric... I enjoy watching your videos..
Love your torque wrench, it clicks just perfectly 🤣🤣🤣
Before I retired, back in the 70's when I was a farm equipment mechanic we used to rebuild everything on the machine. Anything electrical from magneto's to distributors was rebuilt in house as well most pump assemblies ...water pumps, PS pumps, fuel pumps, fuel injection pumps, etc. Today that doesn't exist and techs today don't get first hand knowledge what designs are good and which are bad...what can you do, just different times.
Percussive maintenance: 60% of the time it works every time.
The practice of physical chemistry.
As my mother used to say, "hit it with a hammer"!
Best torque click sound effect. Hands down.
Agreed no need to rebuild unless its an personal older model vehicle and you got the time
Awesome Eric o
It's true everybody wants a warranty coming from a shop . That's the way it is.
Thanks for the video
That's twice in a video I found it to be "shocking"! Excellent job as always Mr O, thank you
2002 jeep grand cherokee limited quadratrac ,,, yup ,,, 247j tc ,,, rebuild thats what im gonna do next ,,, i think , i like the work ethics you have , thanks for another great vid
I agree with your recommendation Eric. However I do have a question. You mentioned the two warranty from Napa and they would pay for repairs if the starter broke down within two years. Yet your previous video was regarding a Toyota you put a drive shaft in about a year ago that the carrier bearing went bad and Napa won't stand behind it since it no longer was sourcing drive shafts from the same supplier. You had to go to bat for your customer with Dorman to get the drive shaft covered. So really how good is Napa's warranty?
I believe the issue was that both NAPA and Dorman were out of stock on the drive shaft being replaced. Eric knew somebody at Dorman, explained the situation, and the guy at Dorman got the company to expedite getting a new one. It sounded to me like NAPA would warrant the bad drive shaft but didn't have one to replace it.
@@sicily6740 We will never know the whole story, but my NAPA outside sales Rep gets the ball rolling for me, and sometimes has to push the ball back into my court and put me in direct contact with the vendor to finalize the transaction, sometimes that involves providing invoice copies, and signed Repair Orders.
The company that originally made it didn't exist anymore or was swallowed up by Dorman.
As an Autocare, I.ll bet, NAPA will stand good for a labor claim. I’m pretty sure that originates in the store, but Corporate HQ issues the account credit. It costs us a fair chunk of change to become eligible (In Certifications), along with a substantial Subscription Fee to offer that security.
I used to change over brushes and I still do on my own cars, but yes, for customers the price point is so close between new brushes and new starter these days to justify new (given the guarantee that comes with the rest of it - bearings, solenoid, windings).
As an added bonus the scrap pile pays for christmas.
That's quite the rust prevention system they have going on under there.
Well it's the best for the northern rust belt take your used motor oil on every oil change spray the under side with it it's free rust proofing and you get rid of the oil 👍
AOCS - Automatic Oil Change System
SLCS Self Lubricating Chassis System. Shout out to CSW.
The ol' self-lubricating chassis system. Those are a must-have in the Rust Belt
Self applicating
I bought a lifetime starter from autozone. Ended up exchanging it 3 times in 10 years. Well worth it!
This was much better than the halftime show! Thanks!
You are not kidding, mix it up with some paintless dent removal videos
Looks like someone forgot about Dre
Back in the mid 1970's we just put in a starter from the parts store, faster, easier and more economical. I think over the past 40 plus years I rebuilt maybe 10-30 starters and it was the reason that the parts store did not have one. It was also always a GM unit with a separate solenoid and actually most if not all of them just needed a new solenoid. Now a days I just get replace the starter with a parts store starter and get on to the next one
OMG!!! I do NOT believe it!!! 3:00 I laughed so hard I was red in the face gasping for air. My wife came to see what was wrong. Eric hit it with a hammer and "fixed" it. The canonical joke. "If it is broke, just give it a whack." Thanks so much for this Eric.
Is it really that funny? That's the standard way to try and make a stuck starter motor go. It's totally normal. People who are too cheap to replace a failing starter will keep a hammer in their vehicle just for the purpose of hitting the starter.
@@dunebasher1971 Yup. Guess if you've never seen it done it must be utterly hilarious though ?
The puff of smoke was pretty definitive. Since I'm a one man dog and pony show, the parts I use are covered by whatever warranty is offered by the provider of the parts. More often than not, the junk parts available these days will take a shit prematurely, so the cost of the part will be eaten by the parts store but I still charge labor to change it again. Parts fail way too often through no fault of mine and my time is valuable. I understand customer service, which is a top priority for me, but I'm not going to lose money because people keep electing corrupt politicians who have forced just about all manufacturing out of this country to the point you can no longer get quality parts. Elections have consequences and people need to wake TF up. That's not exactly where I had intended to go with my comment, but its the truth. Thanks for the video.
DIY warranties are 5 years or the end of the driveway, whichever comes first.
Thanks for sharing
Reman is nice and usually rust free
When it started I saw a puff of smoke come out of the starter. It mY have been a direct short internally as there's oil all around and after starting the smoke stopped.
Can't let the magic smoke out.
99% chance the brushes are worn down to nothing with brush holder hitting the commutator, banging them jars it enough to make contact and take off again. it may or may not start again without being hit, maybe once to dozens of times. the commutator may be eaten up if the brush tension and conduction has been poor for a long time, but it could ok with a light polishing and new brushes.
What a lot of people don't realize too is that sometimes even the starter design doesn't lend itself to be repaired, example my Chevy S10, I'm sure there's a rebuild kit somewhere but inside the starter there's a planetary gear set and the big outer gear or the sun gear as it's called is made of plastic, when that strips all the teeth, your starter is dead in the water even if your starter motor is good, starter will spin but it won't turn the engine over, already had it happened to a few Nissans with the 3.0 and 3.3 V6's and happened to my Chevy S10 with the 4 cylinder
Can’t stop looking at that oil filter and wondering how many years has it been since that filter been changed. As far as the starter, is it cost effective to have it rebuilt when you can buy one with a warranty. Sometimes the level of difficulty in removing the starter your better off with a new one.
He said the cars been undercoat treated. Rust belt precautions. They literally spray the shmoo on everything.
@@KJ-kw7gh Might be but that oil filter is just plain crusty like been on there a long time
@@lukem7203 nevermind
I love the hammer to start technique
Perhaps to much Rust preventative Coating the engine got on the starter?
Thinking that myself with the smoke that boiled out of it.
I do the same, Eric. If I'm working on a customer's car, where I'm charging for my time, I install a new/rebuilt unit. It's invariably faster and therefore cheaper for the customer.
If I'm working on my own stuff, I'll tear them apart and rebuild them if possible.
Why? One, I enjoy great satisfaction rebuilding stuff and, two, my time is cheap FOR ME.
Looks like there's as much oil on the outside of the oil filter as there is the inside.
Not oil, fresh undercoating
The same discussion had been held many times ref when cylinders and calipers. Time is money and go for the better warranty.
Looks like the original oil filter too!
Eric needs to sell them on a oil change for sure!
Everybody missing the part where he says it’s just been sprayed with undercoating everywhere.
@@KJ-kw7gh Undercoating like oil leaking everywhere? lol
@@lukem7203 Yeah, like he’s showed a thousand times, and he even says in the video, undercoating in his area only works if it s put on frickin everything. And yes, they use an oil based undercoating there. Watch some of his older videos.
@@KJ-kw7gh I live in the rust belt too and very familiar with old oil used for under coating. That filter is just plain crusty like been on there a long time. If you look at the video you'll also see clean newer looking power steering lines that have not been coated
I've seen a lot of rebuilt at shops. I say over the years 80 percent failure at shops. I had same result discount stores. But the warranty allows me to take it back get a new one. Usually the same day. Have a great day. More!
What was leaking (oil) on that Torrent besides everything? That was quite a oily mess... looks like it "could" of shorted the starter out as the old one smoked when you love tapped it.
Could've doesn't mean could of.
@@JW...-oj5iw It isn't the same as could have either. You say Potato He says Tater. So what.
Eric, you mention roadside assistance covered in your customer warranty. Is that standard with your repairs? If so, that is very unusual today and a terrific bonus for your customers. I hope they appreciate the gem they have in your shop. Maybe we could see a roadside assistance call? I know it’s a pain but the PEOPLE DEMAND IIT. Kidding… PLEASE!
PS: Your videos are the only ones I thumbs up when I start watching. Because I know.