Thanks David for the great advice, I think I will do just that.
Thanks again.
John

"dbraun" wrote in message
lkaboutboats.com...
I suggest that every boat owner learn how to make rudimentary repairs to
starters.

Marine starters are very expensive. The parts to repair starters are very
cheap and it is not usually a major component that fails. It is typically
corrosion that kills starters on a boat and not component wear from
extended use. As such, the main componts to fail a

1. brushes- salt water corrodes the copper leads
2. brush springs- salt water corrodes them and they break
3. solenoid- corrosion prevents the plunger from sliding
4. drive- corrosion gums up the works and deprives the starter of power or
the drive won't release.

The most expensive part here is the solenoid and it will only set you back
$16.

When I cruise in my sailboat. I carry a complete starter ready to go as a
spare. I also carry a set of all the above parts to do repairs at sea.

Another benefit to all this is that it can save A LOT of money. Yanmar
starters usually cost about $500. You can buy a similar starter (but with
a different nosecone) from Kragans or Autozone for about $50 and just use
it for parts. This works with almost all marine diesels. No diesel
manufacturer also manufactures a starter. They use either a Bosch, hitachi
or some big truck starter. Another advantage to knowing which automotive
starter supplies you with parts is that you can walk into any auto parts
store ask for your Lester number and you get a starter. No waiting for
shipments through the marine parts network.

If you want to buy starter parts I suggest looking at the catalogs from
Ace Electric:

http://www.aceelectric.com/CatS.htm

By the way, this same strategy also works for alternators. To a limited
degree it can be used for raw water pumps, injectors, and filters


David Braun
S/V Nausicaa