Starter Rebuild - 2nd time

I got the bike bug again; I should be back on the road for the 1st weekend in July

I don’t recall if I posted about the last time I replaced my starter brushes. It was not that long ago and I did not experience much improvement in cranking when hot.

When I tore into it this time I found that the fairly new brushes were splintered, broken and or and worn a great deal more than I would have expected them to be.

My local shop owner showed me that although I had cleaned the commutator very good, it was “wavy” and badly out of round thus “bouncing” the brushes off the contacts which busted them up and served to further bang the copper out of round.

Made sense to me, so this time I have had the armature turned on a lathe.

Has anyone else had this done and care to share their results?

There was/is still a good bit of copper on the commutator on mine and it was/is is no where near “worn to the mica” (the point the Clymer manual calls the armature trash)

Does anyone know the actual serviceable limits?

If the difference in cranking power during bench tests from when I took it out compared to now is a good comparison this is going to do the trick… Of course I’ll post my results whether I’m happy or whining.

Feels good to be getting back on two wheels.

Bill

this is exactly where I'm at right now, I'm glad I found your post. I've opened up the starter four times, each time it seems to be a little better, but the new brushes are all cracking and splintering, and the starter hates to crank after its been heated up.

Calling Bill, kzrider.com to Bill, did turning the armature on a lathe help?
I wonder if I should try a machine shop, an armature shop, or just look in people's garages as I ride by?

Could I chuck the armature into a drill, hold the drill in the bench vise, and use it to spin the armature whle I block sand it with crocus cloth? Hmm, maybe a metal file...

Service limit (from what I can recall of my KZ1100 factory manual) is based on the measurement of the depth of the grooves between those copper blocks and I believe the limit is less than half a millimeter, a few tenths.

Howdy Rickman,
I tried the sanding... didn't help much. The brushes still got tore up and hot starts were keeping me parking facing downhill. If you cant find a local shop that can turn the armature for you Maybe call to the shop I went to and see about sending it out to him.
Ask for the owner Bruce.

Good luck
Bill

Valley Cycle Svc
1144 5th Ave
East Mc Keesport,Pa 15035
(412) 829-1337

Post edited by: Kz1100a3, at: 2006/07/27 03:33

I tried to attact this image to my first reply but I am not all here tonight so I'll try again.

but it is the bushings on either end inside the housing that are worn out, causing bind and axial movement.


rick's motorsport electrics.com

I can see how if the bushings are worn badly then that could allow the armature to come in contact with the magnets, especially when hot and swolen. You would likly see evidence of that on the magnets and I agree that could cause a "HOT START" issue However I doubt that as as big a cause of brushes splintering and breaking.

Rickman's starter woes could be a combo of both. I would have the armature turned down a red hair and see where that puts you.

Very, very interesting, guys! thanks for the feedback. "BOTH" might just be the winner here.
Rick's looks nice, but I don't see Bushings available there, either -- so when the armature starts riding the magnets, its new starter time? that would be the flexible collar on the front of the arma shaft? the rear rides in something a bit more solid.
Hmm, bushings gotta be somewhere. Probably in Japan, under whatever this supplier's name is..