Starter Motor Replacement.

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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
Hi there, sorry folks for having dissapeared for so long, one of the primary reasons was the Disco was doing well and I was kinda caught up in some crap.

Anywho, Today the Disco demands attention I guess its overdue since I've been ignoring her for a while now. Drove out late night yesterday to MacDonalds ( serves me right ! ) grabbed some food came back home and parked her in her usual spot.

Today tried to start her and all I get is a large thud and feels like someone kicked the car as soon as I turn the key. Like the starter is about to start but then gets stuck or something grabs it. The thud is harsh enough to shake the car a bit. It can't be the battery as it gives a good power wallop and not the clicking of a low juice.

So I'm guessing the starter is getting stuck on something as it tries to spin. I tried to whack it with a tire iron from below as much as I could, still no luck. Still stuck.

Just wanted to confirn its the starter, don't want to just throw parts at it. Oh also another weird thing is the car rolls in gear now ! I can push it easily forward and back in R,D,3,2,1. The transfer case is not in neutral, this has me a bit worried aswell.

I've experienced and seen starter problems before usually its the bendix spinning, no clicks or clicking but nothing like this when all you get is a big thud when you turn the key.

Also the starter motor has been abused for around a year now due to long starts due to most probably fuel regulator problems and the crappy thing is they are very expensive here even used, why I have no idea when every thing else is pretty cheap and the money situation isn't that great so been putting that off as soon as possible.

One last thing, I called my parts guy and he has a unknown brand new starter for pretty cheap. So would it be better to go for that or get a LR one from the scrap yard for about the same. Orginal is out of the question because its about 4 times the price of the aftermarket one.

Basically not too freaked out, I do get in a mood when my car stops working mainly because its the only ride I have but the hard thud and car able to free wheel in gear has me a bit worried. And not to mention I live way out of the city and its a big PITA to get anything not to mention expensive using cabs and crap, not like I can run and get

Thanks guys for any help.
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
Update : We went in again, this time using the OEM tyre lug nut opener as a chisel and a bigger hammer and whacked it as much and from as many places as I could.

And this time round it started, so now the question is do I change the starter because this might happen again and if yes ( Which most probably I should ) do I go for a no name new one or a used LR one ?
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
No solid in P, the pin catches after a short turn. Thats what I thought and checked it in P, but also wouldn't my car not move unless the CDL was locked if a CV was shot. Also I regularly hit heavy sand patches that let me know my 4WD has not turned into a 2WD.

A new starter here is for around 80 USD ofcourse no shipping involved, having a friend pick it up. If you can beat that lemme know, although I doubt it, shipping from the US to Dubai alone might cost more than that.

BTW any tips in removal, the top nut looks like a HUGE PITA to do, all sorts of things are in the way and not much room in there aswell.
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
Yup most bits are very cheape when I compare prices online, a quick look at Atlantic british and its almost 300 USD !

BTW how much for a fuel regulator Paul, thats one thing that seems to be pretty pricey here and no one is willing to sell them second hand at a reasonable price either ? Oh and a vaccum adavance unit, thats also one of those tiny but extremely expensive bits.
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
Looks like just having a bleeding bad day ( Night actually ! ) After I whacked the starter to life I thought it'd be safe to do a short grocery run for dinner. The starter didn't let me down, after finishing with grocereries the engine would turn but the engine just wasn't catching almost about to but just not comming to life !

A few splutters here and there, same problem as with my engine wash thread ! So I did the same thing I saw my mech friend do to bring it to life. Jumped the ignition coil from the battery heard the proper clicks one is supposed to. Did this a few more times just for good luck.

Hopped back in and gave it whirl and after a long splutter session it came to life ! And I was able to make it back home. Looks like I'm in the dog house with Lord Lucas all of a sudden ?

Why this jumping the ignition coils works I dunno ? But it works anybody with any clues as to why ? And could the starter and this be related in anyway ????
 
ptschram

ptschram

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2004
21,955
50
In the shop doing the Lord's work one broken Rover
www.ptschram.com
Hold on a minute.

You live in Dubai and went to McDonald's to eat?

WTF? Dubai has the highest per capita income on earth (or did) and that was the best you could do? OMG, if I lived in such a place, I'd sure as shit be looking for a better option! I can't believe there isn't all manner of food from the world over available there.

Although, I would be careful about debt in the UAE-LOL.
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
LOL I hear ya, but I live in a far off ish community Its got a very good shopping mall ( If you really wanna know Google Ibn Battuta Mall ) A nice selection of resturants etc etc BUT it was like 3 am and me and my wife had the case of the midnight munchies and the only 24hr thing within the community is a MacDonalds.

I guess serves me right for going to Big Mac, eh !
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
Save yourself the trouble mate, nothing but expensive clubs filled with ladies of the night and a lot of shiny empty towers but if you're looking for some offroad fun then yeah don't miss it. I'll be glad to take you out into the dunes mate.

Oh yeah you're right there are a lot of places open just didn't want to drive that far or nibble on gas station food.

Plus I'm a grunt and not into resturants and crap. :)
 
ptschram

ptschram

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2004
21,955
50
In the shop doing the Lord's work one broken Rover
www.ptschram.com
desertdude said:
Save yourself the trouble mate, nothing but expensive clubs filled with ladies of the night and a lot of shiny empty towers but if you're looking for some offroad fun then yeah don't miss it. I'll be glad to take you out into the dunes mate.
Click to expand...

I also interviewed for a job in GuangZhou. I was more interested in wheeling there as there are no mines in most of China and tall-ish white folks are seen differently in rural China than in rural Lebanon or other mid-eastern countries.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,744
1,026
Northern Illinois
ptschram said:
$80 USD? That's cheap, buy it!

5/16 hex driver and long extensions. Make sure the driver is seated in the top bolt or you'll hate life.
Click to expand...


I like using a shorter flex head ratchet I have with no extension when I first crack the upper bolt loose. In the 90's I was doing about 3 rear mains a week on average, so I was doing a lot of starters. Even when they were new it was hard for me to break that upper bolt loose with an extension that went out to the front edge of the starter.
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
What would 5/8 be in rest of the world measures. I read somewhere to use 8mm allen for the starter, would that be right ?

Really hate LR's with the mixed nuts and bolts Some are metric and some are ..err..American ?!
 
Hammertime

Hammertime

Well-known member
Nov 14, 2009
131
0
desertdude said:
What would 5/8 be in rest of the world measures. I read somewhere to use 8mm allen for the starter, would that be right ?

Really hate LR's with the mixed nuts and bolts Some are metric and some are ..err..American ?!
Click to expand...

I have yet to find a SAE nut or bolt on my 90
 
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desertdude

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2008
194
0
Dubai, U.A.E
www.emarat4x4.com
It looked like the starter for sure. Had to use the car a couple of times and it would turn then get stuck turn some more, get stuck again and then finally turn the engine into life. This happened a couple of times, anyways so got the new starter motor for 80 bucks. Came in a plain white box with no markings at all, first I was thinking all makes but no. Nothing on the motor itself aswell.

Me and my friend then took a stab at it. My bud said he had tackled a starter on a P38a just sometime back and the best thing would be to open the manifold as that would make life much easier, since it was just 8 bolts on the manifold and another three on the Y pipe side so we decided to go for it. No heat sheild for the manifold.

Anyways got the manifold off without much fuss other than just snapping one bolt. Took a while to figure out how to get the starter heat sheild off. Looke and looked and then finally found the bugger hiding under years of oil, grease and sand.

The starter bolts were 8mm Allen heads. Cleaned the heads and put the allen head in and gave it a few taps with a hammer to seat in properly so the dam thing wouldn't strip. Bud had a long extension for the top one but still could not get it to budge. Then cracked on a universal flexi head I held true from the top and it popped right open from the bottom. Dude has a dug out so you can stand and work under the car which helps alot.

Decided the starter heat sheild was not worth the effort to plonk it back it so ditched that. Put everything back toghter and said a little prayer and cranked the key.

All all we heard was the very fimilar by now thud. Motor jammed ! WTF !! Tired to turn the motor by hand from the main fromt pulley and it wouldn't budge. Right about now nasty thoughts of replacing a siezed engine were comming into my head !!!

Took off the belt just to see if any of the pulleys had siezed but nothing. Mooted around under the hood for another 5 mins to see what the crap was going on.

Just thought give it another go and then turned the key again and the engine spun into life ! Phew !!!! Switched it on and off a few times and worked fine.

Either the new starter has a lot of juice of my old one was knackered, because this one spins like a mofo, even the delayed starting have seamed to go away, but after a few checks the motor does start up everytime like normal but only if I have my foot on the pedal

Now the slight worry I have what was causing the motor to jam, maybe the old starter somehow managed to jam the flywheel in a odd spot causing it to jam or it too some time for the teeth of the new starter to mesh with the flywheel ???

Any clues ?

Anyways just to put it out there the starter can be changed without dismantling anything from under the car if you got the right tools. We needed 8mm Allen, a bloody foot long extension with a flexi. But if you got help and not in any hurry then taking out the manifold does make the job longer but a lot more easier and reduces the chance of stripping the top bolt much much less.

Thanks everyone for the help, I still do feel bad for only comming to discoweb when I got an issue. I promise to log in more often and try to do my small part in contributing to this online community. Although with master wrench men here there isn't much that my do anyways. Just trying to pass on misinformation is a great worry to me specially when my GCC spec disco differs from NAS landys so much.

Cheers
 
M

MountDisco

Member
Jul 14, 2009
13
0
fort worth
Hi,

I just did this removal and i wanted to touch on a few points. the allen wrench needed to remove the bolts off the starter are 5/16. The one bolt to take off the starter cover is a 10mm size nut and it is located inside the motor mount.

thanks,
 
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