Re: I gotta question fer ya..... (re: starter)

[ikessel@worldnet.att.net]

MHLIGGINS@aol.com wrote:
> 
> <<> I and a friend couldn't believe our eyes when we saw the plastic inside an
> > instrument that is supposed to turn the engine!  Made me a little suspicios
> 
> Better a plastic gear in the starter being the weak point than the
> flywheel teeth...
> 
> Orin.>>
> 
>         I guess I never noticed that the starter had a plastic gear, which brings a
> question to mind -- just how in the world did that buddy of yours manage to
> crunch teeth off the flywheel?

Good point, Marty.
As his (bad) luck would have it, he installed a fresh battery and a new
starter _moments_ before he hydro locked two cylinders. Then he cranked
it up with all this fresh juice and new found power. He made two
attempts total: each cost him a tooth. It was only _then_ when he
decided to call me: "MY ENGINE HAS CEASED UP!!!" 

BTW, my OEM starter had three metal gears in a circular arrangement,
driving the outer toothed ring as a typical torque multiplier (lose in
distance - win in momentum) alà my Black & Decker screwdriver. The gear
assy itself was indeed plastic.
I opened my starter twice - for the solenoid contacts clean up and
general lubrication after I tried to imitate Huw and stormed a puddle
nearly 1m deep. Although I did make it ashore, I flooded the starter and
the alternator (hello Christmas tree in the dashboard). The temps that
night dropped below zero and the solenoid anchor froze solid to the
armature. As luck would have it, that night the 200 was parked in the
driveway, about 10° nose down into the garage door. Next morning a turne
of the key resulted in complete silence, as if the battery were
disconnected. I couldn't even back the car out of the driveway to get
the second one out of the garage - had to wait till about noon for the
starter to thaw out. Felt like a complete idiot - it was so easily
predictable.

A new starter and a new alternator since then. Both are rebuilt Bosch
units with a lifetime warranty.

--
Igor Kessel
Two turbo quattros