I think the previous owner of this 140k 85SE I bought had everything carefully timed so it would fail after he sold it. Now the starter (or the bendix) is failing: no clicks at all when turning the key.

So I guess I'm off to the PnP tomorrow to get a starter/bendix. Any tips on R&R?

B

 

Replace the battery terminal cables, first. They're probably spent.

 

There's two bolts holding the puppy in. One is in such that the hex cap of the bolt is to the front of the car. I'm of the opinion that it's much easier to remove that bolt, especially if it's really torqued on there, by removing the rear rotor plugs & wires and attacking it from the top.

Should go pretty fast, though. I wound up having to go out and buy a bigger breaker bar to get one of those bolts loose, but other than that, it only took me about an hour or so.

 

no clicks is the solidnoid

 

Either the solenoid or the cable. Other electrics work OK. Maybe I'll do the ground cable and positive cable first.

B

 

Sometimes in the morning mine spins without engaging. I think the bendix is shot on it.

 

If you're not sure that it's the starter/solenoid or something else, it's pretty easy to test. Go out and get yourself a remote starter (6-12 bucks at Sears Hardware. You'll thank yourself later. I don't know how I ever lived without one). Put the car in neutral, leave the ignition off, hook one clip to the starter (where the battery positive cable connects) and the other to the positive terminal of the battery. Stand back and give the trigger a squeeze. If nothing happens, it's the starter/solenoid.

Alternatively, if you're cheap, you can use a jumper cable. In this case, though, the trigger switch is your hand touching one end of the jumper cable to the positive battery terminal. I don't really reccomend that, though.

If, when you do that, you get no noise, like others have said, your solenoid is shot. You can replace just that, however, I have a personal preference (especially on a 19 year old car) to simply put a rebuild starter in. It's only a few more bucks, and I think it's a bit easier to do the whole unit.

 

Remote starter button is good, and I think I've got one laying in the bottom of a toolbox somewhere. Unfortunately, I have about 273 toolboxes around here.

Yeah, I've never been able to replace a bendix without pulling the starter.

I don't like rebuilds (I think the guys who do them are high all the time so they fail easily) but it's usually pretty easy to replace bushings and brushes yourself, pretty cheap too. So, I tend to get a PnP, do the swap, then rebuild the old one for the next job. I had a '76 Fiat that required The Treatment every year.

B

 

Bendix is a brand name.

 

Right. But it's more than just a solenoid if it throws the pinion gear into the ring gear. So, it got the tradename, like kleenex.

I suppose we could call it the solenoid/pinion actuator.

B

 

Anyhow, I went to the PnP and all 3 7s have intact starters, but not one bolt or nut would budge with the application of a ratchet and socket. Maybe I'll just go get a rebuilt (ugh) or go back with a breaker bar.

I was only there 10 minutes but got stuck with a ticket from the Fremont cops : expired tags. I paid the fees and got it smogged, but it needs a brake light operation certificate because my insurance Salvage Titled the poor thing when an oak tree hit it last winter.

I'll need that breaker bar anyhow for the 85SE starter, I suppose.

B