Where can I get brushes for a starter?

Whats happening is that when I try to start my bike, it clicks only. If I put it in gear, roll it, then it will start, every time. I recently put new chrome covers on both right sides. I'm wondering if when I took apart the coil cover, and the body, that something didn't line up. Anyway, anysuggestions would be helpful. Kinda of a pain to have to roll it each time, thanks.

Post edited by: sweet back, at: 2006/01/04 20:39

I bet it's just coincidence or somethingthat was ready to fail anyway...

click means solenoid is engaging.

after you roll it, stiction will be reduced for a little bit of time and starter can turn it over, even with reduced current.

you can try diagnostic to confirm my bet...

measure voltage between + connection on starter and frame and see if it's dropping way below value measured at battery posts. measure both when tryng to start. they should be close tothe same...

or you can try shotgun fix...

check
battery + and - connections clean on terminal lugs and posts. ditto for ground/frame end of - battery cable and + end at solenoid. check other side of solenoid while youre there and then starter end of this cable. if you don't find problem, make sure starter mounting bolts are clean because IIRC this is the ground path for surrunt through starter...

Oh, you can verify solenoid working by shorting between two fat posts. I doubt it went coincidently went bad.

above all assumes battery is good.

-Duck

Post edited by: Duck, at: 2005/11/19 20:04

Maybe Im just oversimplifying things but could the starter itself be going bad? Kind of like giving your cars starter a good whack with a baseball bat when its going bad?

What is a coil cover? What kind of bike? PLEASE put your bike model/year in your signature. Thanks.

Sounds like a low battery to me.

Try putting a new one in it or jumping it off of a riding lawnmower, or a small car battery.

I haven't tried the items in the first reply as of yet. Just a quick reply. George, its one of the covers on the right side of the bike, and thanks my bike is now in my signature. And that battery is definitely good. Its strange how this comes and goes. But I need to put the bike up for a week so I can address a few other things.

It's your starter solenoid. The contacts get hot and sink into the plastic, which then flows over the contacts preventing... contact. I was able to take mine apart and trim the melted plastic away.

The way to test for sure is to use a screwdriver and short between the posts on the solenoid and see if the starter turns over...

you push it in gear,then it will catch and turn over?could the gear behind the stator/generator have a bad tooth ?when you push it in gear you are turning the motor over maybe its spinning it past that bad tooth and allowing the starter to engage.im not sure what differance pushing bike in gear would make with a bad solenoid.

Post edited by: wireguy, at: 2005/12/10 23:01

Yeah, hey, whatever happened with this? Follow up, please!

Ok, sorry for the delay.

Checked battery, good.

Checked starter solenoid, good.

Checked teeth, good.

Took starter in, free check, bad. I opened it up, brushes are TINY.

Where can I get brushes? I won't pay 300 for a starter from the dealer.


Do bike shops rebuild starters?

Post edited by: sweet back, at: 2006/01/04 20:44

I would check with your local starter shops. There is a shop in Dayton, OH that I swear could rebuild the starters on the space shuttle Discovery if they needed him to. He his super helpful and won't charge a dime unless he needs to.
Another thought, check electrical motor sources if you can get the specs on the original brushes.

Is your starter the same as in the 73-80 Z/KZ 900/1000 family? You can always find used starters on eBay for these bikes...