my starter barely cranks the engine over 100 rpms. 4 out of 5 times it cranks slow, but every once in a while it cranks fully

how much should I expect to pay for a starter or rebuild on my current one? maybe it is only the solenoid?

any thoughts on brands, oem vs third party

 

Open it up and clean it. check the brushes, may just need new ones.

 

a solenoid only engages the Starter gear..it has nothing to do with starter speed.
..and Current "what"..Toyota Celica?
Fb,fc.fd?..

 

Napa re-manufactured starters are better than most. They typically use a roller bearing while others use a bushing.

 

S5 tii starter, not a Celica lol
i swapped it with one laying around, works much better. What peice are you suggesting to clean up or swap out

 

The carbon bushes and the commutator, the segmented. Brass part at the end. Used to polish and cut the mica between the brass segments. The brass would start to bridge over the mica and Preformance of the started would suffer. These days reman. Staters for most cars are so cheap few people mess with starters. Also The Bendix assembly at the gear end of the starter can be dry and dirty.

 

not exactly true, the solenoid also acts as a conduit for power to be applied to the starter motor to turn it. corroded connections inside the solenoid can also cause a slow starter.

most often than not it is the brushes though, one being stuck or several worn out.