Sprinter 316cdi starter motor - easy way out??

[djweeble]

Has anyone here ever changed the starter motor on a Sprinter 316cdi ??

I've recently had an intermittent problem with the engine failing to turn when I try to start it. The motor solenoid clicks, but there's no turnover.

It's now finaly stopped working altogether, i.e. just clicking whenever I turn the key.

I am "mechanically minded", and I have a lot of experience with this sort of stuff on various different vehicles, but just looking down into the engine compartment this morning put me off big style !!

Do I have to remove the massive "splash guard" under the engine and box just to get to it, or is there an easier way (praying mode on).

Also, anyone know what price I can expect to pay for one over the counter in the UK, I'm coming over there next week and I'd probably save a lot of money that way compared to buying it here in Norway

 

[colechelle]

looks worse than what it is, 2 bolts holding it in, 0ne 13mm and 0ne 10mm holding the leads on, last time i bought one was about £180 + vat, on a pit will take 30min, on a jack and stands prob about 45-1hr,

 

[djweeble]

Thanks for that, it's put my mind partly at rest, I'll have to do it on jacks and stands as I don't have a pit (next years big diy project).

Can you confirm whether I'll have to remove that humungous splash guard running the length and breadth of the engine and box, or can I just loosen one side or "something"

 

[colechelle]

will admit i have never done one from on top! alway done them on a ramp, dont think you get your hand down from the top, thinking about it i would say yes, lose the undertray!!!!

 

[djweeble]

OK, thanks for that, that was the reply I didn't want to read :-D

I'll be on it first thing in the morning.

Cheers

 

[colechelle]

as i said its not hard at all, looks worst, let us know how you get on!

 

[djweeble]

Well, the job is done,

I removed the humungous bottom splash guard, and set about ripping the old motor out, the connections were to say the least, a pain in the @rse having to be done from above at arms length with all sorts of pipes and gubbins in the way. From below, the mounting bolts came out easy.

One bit you have to remember, there's a wiring conduit bolted to the mounting flange of the motor, this has to be unfastened as well, and it still gets in the way once you've loosened the motor. Once I'd jiggled it about a bit, the starter came out easily from below.

Being an engineering type (Avionic Engineer) with experience of strip and rebuild on motors and generators, I decided I had nothing to lose by stripping the motor down and taking a look to see if I could find anything obviously wrong with it. Once I'd removed the rear cover and the brush blocks, I pulled the armature out, and saw the problem straight away, the commutator was blocked up with carbon deposits, shorting out the windings, and two of the brushes (both the ground connections) were stuck in their holders just failing to contact the commutator.

I stripped the motor, solenoid, and gearing completely down, and cleaned the lot in a white spirit bath, and put them in a small industrial oven we have at work to dry them out, then I set about skimming and polishing the commutator on a small lathe, and freed off and cleaned the brushes and brush block. I then carefully reasembled everything with plenty of lithium grease where needed, and once it was completely assembled, connected it to a motor test bed.

At 12V it wouldn't run up, but after increasing the voltage to around 15V it overcame it's initial tightness, started to turn, and gradually gained speed, then I lowered the voltage to 10V and ran it for about an hour to bed the brushes.

I've just, half an hour ago, finished fitting it back on the van, and I'm happy to say, it worked first time, and every subsequent time for about thirty trial starts.

It took me some time (on the clock ! ) but I've saved myself a fortune in Norwegian mechanics wages by doing it myself, and that's not even including the price of Kr3500 (£350) they wanted for a new motor

Thank you very much Colechelle for the little bit of info, I was actually crapping myself when i first looked at the job, but you gave me the extra bit of a push I needed to get stuck in and do it.

 

[colechelle]

Nice one, sounds like a job well done, not normal for people now days to rebuild units, just replace them, saved yourself some money as well, thats what its all about!!!