TECH TIP FOR DECEMBER, 1997

I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN THIS TECH TIP BY THANKING OUR CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND SOMETIMES THEIR PATIENCE DURING THE LAST YEAR. WE HOPE THAT WE WILL ENJOY YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN THE NEW YEAR AND WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

BRANTFORD STARTER WILL CLOSE FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT NOON ON DECEMBER 24th AND RE-OPEN AT 8:00am ON DECEMBER 29th. AT NEW YEARS WE WILL

BE OPEN REGULAR HOURS ON THE 31st, CLOSED ON THE 1st AND RE-OPEN AT 8:00am ON THE 2nd.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

MOST OF YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH THE REPLACEABLE CONTACTS FOUND INSIDE NIPPONDENSO GEAR REDUCTION STARTERS, AND PROBABLY WILL HAVE REPLACED THEM AT SOME POINT IN TIME. THE PROCEDURE IS NOT DIFFICULT, HOWEVER, RECENTLY WE HAD A STARTER BROUGHT IN FOR AN INTERMITTENT "CLICKS BUT WON'T START". AFTER DISASSEMBLY WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE NEW CONTACTS INSTALLED AND A CALL SHOWED THAT OUT CUSTOMER HAD BOUGHT THEM FROM US AND INSTALLED THEM IN HOUSE TO CORRECT AN INTERMITTENT "CLICKS BUT WON'T START". WE WERE ASSURED THAT THE ORIGINAL CONTACTS WERE GONE, AT LEAST ONE WAS, BUT THEY HAD REPLACED BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT IN THE ATTEMPT TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY BY REPLACING BOTH CONTACTS, THE GARAGE HAD ALLOWED THE INSULATOR WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTACTS AND THROUGH WHICH THE PLUNGER MOVES, TO BECOME "OFF CENTER" AND THE INSULATOR ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PLUNGER WOULD SOMETIMES COME IN CONTACT WITH IT, PREVENTING THE CONTACTS FROM CLOSING. LOOSENING OFF THE NUTS WHICH HOLD THE CONTACTS IN PLACE AND RE-POSITIONING THE INSULATOR WAS ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY.

ON THE SUBJECT OF NIPPONDENSO GEAR REDUCTION STARTERS AND THEIR REPLACEABLE CONTACTS. WE ARE FINDING THAT AS PEOPLE REPLACE THESE CONTACTS THE DURATION OF TIME BETWEEN REPLACEMENTS BECOMES SHORTER. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE WEAR ON THE DISC OF THE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY. WE FEEL THAT THE CONTACTS SHOULD BE REPLACED ONLY ONCE BEFORE THE PLUNGER IS REPLACED, BUT WHO KNOWS WHO DID WHAT TO THIS UNIT BEFORE YOU GOT TO SEE IT. IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT OR THE DISC LOOKS VERY BADLY MARKED, CHANGE IT BEFORE YOU GET TO SEE THE CAR AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS FOR THE SAME REPAIR.

TOYOTA AND HONDA BOTH USE AN ALTERNATOR WHICH FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKS THE SAME, AND WHICH HAS THE REGULATOR PLUG, BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. IF THE TOYOTA ALTERNATOR IS INSTALLED IN A HONDA APPLICATION, IT WILL FAIL PREMATURELY. A HONDA ALTERNATOR STANDS A REASONABLE CHANCE IN A TOYOTA BUT WILL EXPERIENCE A SHORTER LIFE SPAN. THIS IS BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE MADE TO SPIN IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. MOST ALTERNATORS COOL BY SUCKING AIR IN THROUGH THEIR REAR HOUSINGS (THE ONE FARTHEST FROM THE PULLEY), IF THE ROTOR WAS MADE TO SPIN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THE ALTERNATOR WILL NOT BLOW AIR, BUT IN FACT, THE AIR WILL STALL AND VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, COOLING WILL TAKE PLACE.

BECAUSE MOST TOYOTAS MOUNT THEIR ALTERNATORS UP ON TOP OF THE ENGINE, SOMETIMES THIS LITTLE COOLING WILL BE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE ALTERNATOR TO SURVIVE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE HONDA ALTERNATORS ARE MOUNTED THE PROBLEM OF NO AIR MOVEMENT BECOMES APPARENT.

WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE SHIMMING PROBLEMS ON THE OLDER BIG BODY STARTERS, WELL THE SMALL BODY STARTERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS THAT TWO IDENTICAL LOOKING STARTERS CAN HAVE UP TO .75 " (2mm) DIFFERENCE IT THE SPACE BETWEEN THE CENTER OF THE ARMATURE SHAFT AND THE TOP OF THE MOUNTING PAD. MOST OEM HOUSINGS ARE MARKED WITH A "NO SHIM" ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSING THAT THE SOLENOID BOLTS TO, BUT SOME OF THE AFTERMARKET ONE WHICH SHOULD BE MARKED ARE NOT. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING YOU HAVE, AND TO MAKE THE INSTALLATION CORRECTLY (HOPEFULLY THE FIRST TIME).

WE ARE CURRENTLY PURCHASING A DEVISE THAT WILL TELL US WHAT IF ANY SHIM IS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS STARTER MEET "NO SHIM" REQUIREMENTS BUT SINCE WE CAN'T FIND AN EXACT LISTING OF WHICH VEHICLES TAKE "NO SHIM" THIS WILL BE OF QUESTIONABLE HELP. WHAT IT WILL ENABLE US TO DO IS TO TAKE YOUR CORE, MEASURE IT AND PROVIDE AN EXACT DUPLICATE HEIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YET A MAJOR ONE, UNLESS YOU ARE THE ONE HAVING TO RE & RE THE STARTER EXTRA TIME TO GET THE UNIT TO ACT PROPERLY.  BUT WE WILL NOW BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS EXTRA SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS THAT HOPEFULLY WILL PREVENT MULTIPLE RE & RE TO TRY AND SOLVE THE NOISE PROBLEM.

WE HAVE BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIME OVER THE LAST YEAR FOR SHIMS FOR FORD STARTERS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE WERE SMOKING SOME FUNNY STUFF, BUT THEN FOUND THAT THERE ARE, IN FACT, SHIMS FOR FORD STARTERS. THESE SHIMS ARE TO MOVE THE STARTER AWAY FROM THE RING GEAR, THEREBY PREVENTING THE DRIVE FROM HANGING IN, AND GETTING MILLED ON THE DRIVE CLUTCH COVER BEHIND THE PINION. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER, THE ONLY TIME THIS SHOULD BE NECESSARY IS IF THE CRANKSHAFT THRUST WASHERS ARE ALLOWING THE CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE LATERALLY IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE SHIMS ARE, AT BEST A PATCH, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE CUSTOMER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY SCRAPPED. NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO BE PART OF, SO WE WILL NOT STOCK SHIMS FOR FORD APPLICATIONS.