Starter refurbisher...

[slow-lane-Matt]

Replaced starter today, jeez what a job, not helped by PO replacing special locking bolt with standard hex bolt

Reading up it seems recondition OE is the way to go - and the only supplier I can find is Cool Air - are there any others I should consider..., would be nice to have a choice.

CA say the bushing must be replaced, but I don't have the tool to do this, and don't really want to pay £70 for a tool I'll use once. Reading up it seems it is quite common to leave the old bushing unless it looks deformed, which I don't think mine does...?

Would it be big risk to leave old bushing...?

Has anyone tried an automatic starter motor - they don't use the bush at all...?

On the bench the starter and solenoid were both fubar'd, which seems a bit of co-incidence, but the bus hasn't been starting well for age, and recently - not at all...

Thanks as always for any advice......

 

[Sean1]

I recently replaced my starter and didn't bother with the new bush as mine looked okay, I'm getting my old starter reconditioned for £50 that's a full strip down and paint along with new parts that are required, on my new starter I had to use a standard bolt unfortunately because there was nothing for the D bolt to lock itself against unfortunately
Sean

 

[Elliott99]

You can remove the bushing easily with an M12 tap. Find one with a flat end rather than a point, and tap the bush. The tap will bottom out, and jack out the bush!

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Sean

Who are you using to recondition your starter ? Cool Air charge £170 for reconditioned, but then give you £50 back on the old one...
(so £120 for a reconditioned swap)

Thanks

 

[Sean1]

Someone local to me, when I get round to taking it I'll see if I can get his contact details and then I can tell you the cost, as £50 was a rough quote from him to be honest
Sean

 

[Peter Good]

In days past I worked for several of the big names in starter motors. Our stats showed over 60% of old VW Air-cooled starters that had 'failed' were perfectly OK except that they had run with a worn bush. That bush is very sensitive to wear; wear that is not easily visible to the eye.
Don't take chances; change the bush first and foremost, and especially if you are fitting a new / recon starter as your guarantee will be void unless you change it. And yes, it is dead easy to tell.
Peter Good

 

[Happystamps]

Courtesy of Moby-

Change the bush. Proper satisfying once you've got it done and you know the job's been done properly.

Also, on some earlies the D bolt was actually a standard hex bolt. and you're right, they are a pain! Quick tip- when you're installing the D bolt, put a blob of grease on the underside of the head before pushing it in. helps prevent the bolt moving when you're trying to fit the nut to the other side.

Edit- just realised this post is from 18 months ago! Never mind.

 

[thejinx]

I will vouch for Elliot99 that’s what I did. Borrowed a tap. It came out in 2nds. Putting the new bush in was a different matter I dropped it into the bell housing. Engine out job If I had the brains to use the bolt and washer in the picture above I may have saved myself some time