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Starter Motor?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:05 am
by Johnnyboy
Getting funny noises from the starter motor - sort of a whirring as it slows down after the engine has started. In the old days I would have said it was the sprong on the bendix drive....

Any recommendations before it actually packs up? Do we re-build them these days?

I seem to remember somebody on MRC suggesting that a later model was a good upgrade?

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:15 am
by rotaryguru
S4 FC is a good upgrade, more high powered. Getting refurbed is a good option, an old one is probably just as bad. I got mine redone for £75, but have heard as cheap as £40.

When my starter died years ago, I just always parked on a hill. :lol:

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 pm
by codge
I would start off by washing the Bendix in Petrol, let it dry off then lubricate with graphite from a pencil, not with oil which picks up dirt again.

Are they still the same sort of drive these days? IE with a massive spring and spinning pinion?

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:53 pm
by spoddy
mmm, bump starting a rotary? heard its not good for them you can break the apex seals?
i had to tow start my rx8 after the coils etc went my oem starter was getting a bit on for my engine
at 91600 miles so i got a faster after market starter put on and it spins the engine super fast and starts
really quick now.

but the old starter is not the right fit for an fb as i can re-use it as it does still start ok and was going to
hold onto it, but if an fc starter will fit then it sounds a better option.

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:43 pm
by myatt1972
I thought an S2 starter was different to an S3 starter.
I think the FC starter will only fit an S3 car.
I might have an S2 starter you can have John but It will probably need a refurb, but at least you could keep her on the road while you get it done then just do a swap.

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:34 am
by ian65
I've bump started plenty of rx7's over the years with no problems at all....

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:29 am
by rotaryguru
spoddy wrote:mmm, bump starting a rotary? heard its not good for them you can break the apex seals?
Complete and utter lies. How would it break the Apex seals???? A crash start simply uses the cars motion to turn the motor over, rather than the starter. f-f

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:33 am
by rotaryguru
myatt1972 wrote:I thought an S2 starter was different to an S3 starter.
I think the FC starter will only fit an S3 car.
I might have an S2 starter you can have John but It will probably need a refurb, but at least you could keep her on the road while you get it done then just do a swap.
Yeah, the flywheels are different. So S3/4 will only fit a S3. S1 and S2 have a different starter cos of the smaller fly.

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 12:44 pm
by TOOL
You sure?

I thought you matched the starter to the bellhousing. The flywheels are different between S2 and S3 in relation to the clutch diameter but the overall diameter and ring gear position is the same afaik.

I thought you could put S4/S5 starter on S1-3 boxes.

Re: Starter Motor?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:15 pm
by rotaryguru
TOOL wrote:You sure?

I thought you matched the starter to the bellhousing. The flywheels are different between S2 and S3 in relation to the clutch diameter but the overall diameter and ring gear position is the same afaik.

I thought you could put S4/S5 starter on S1-3 boxes.
Yeah true. You do have to match the bellhousing. I've always used starters from S1-3 and interchanged, never used the S4 but it will fit if using S4 13B6 port (non-turbo) and the S3 fly.