1998 explorer starter

[Ynot2691]

So my neighbor talks me her 98 explorer V8 won't start. Told her I'd look at it. She was right nothing. I pulled the starter out to bench test it and I got nothing. I pulled the cover off the end of it and was looking at complete catastrophic failure. The brushes, holder,springs etc. We're blasted into a hundred pieces and the commutator split into four pieces. Obviously the motor part of the starter needs replacing so off to the pick it yard I go. Was just kind of curious if anybody else seen something like this???;

 

[Fix4Dirt]

havent seen that before have ya got any pics? pictures are worth 1000 words! any chance you have pictures of that module in your 94 also? curious! thanks!

 

[Ynot2691]

So my neighbor talks me her 98 explorer V8 won't start. Told her I'd look at it. She was right nothing. I pulled the starter out to bench test it and I got nothing. I pulled the cover off the end of it and was looking at complete catastrophic failure. The brushes, holder,springs etc. We're blasted into a hundred pieces and the commutator split into four pieces. Obviously the motor part of the starter needs replacing so off to the pick it yard I go. Was just kind of curious if anybody else seen something like this???;

 

[Ynot2691]

I've never seen anything like this either

 

[Ynot2691]

havent seen that before have ya got any pics? pictures are worth 1000 words! any chance you have pictures of that module in your 94 also? curious! thanks!

 

[Ynot2691]

She said they were at a stop light and felt a thud then the truck died. All electrical dead. I tried to start it. Of course no bueno on that. Starter solenoid ad red hot. That's what led me to pull the starter and investigate.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

woah, that is real odd!!!!!!! huh never seen it before.

 

[Ynot2691]

She said they were at a stop light and felt a thud then the truck died. All electrical dead. I tried to start it. Of course no bueno on that. Starter solenoid ad red hot. That's what led me to pull the starter and investigate.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Hopefully the flex plate didn’t crack out. Sounds kinda like the starter tried to engage while it was running. Wonder if there’s an. Issue with the ignition switch.

 

[Ynot2691]

That one brush that is beyond worn out is smooth on its face so I assume that was hitting the commutator. I think one of the brushes popped out of the brush holder and started a chain reaction of uncontrolled destruction.

 

[Ynot2691]

Hopefully the flex plate didn’t crack out. Sounds kinda like the starter tried to engage while it was running. Wonder if there’s an. Issue with the ignition switch.

Oh this thing is a real jewel. They've had their friend who is a "mechanic" working on it a while back. He rigged a chunk of an extension cord from the relay on the inner fender to a toggle switch to start it. I'm just going to have to remove all the jimmy rigged stuff and go piece by piece to see what works and what don't.

 

[Ynot2691]

She did mention that it was cranking over without them trying to start it. I'll start with that and see if I can duplicate it.

That one brush that is beyond worn out is smooth on its face so I assume that was hitting the commutator. I think one of the brushes popped out of the brush holder and started a chain reaction of uncontrolled destruction.

 

[Ynot2691]

Brush holder and springs

 

[Mbrooks420]

This is completely self inflicted. Why you’d try and drive a car while the starter was just running is beyond me.

 

[Turdle]

All points to faulty ignition switch
Since you take good pictures obviously, let's see that one of a kind module in the 94

 

[410Fortune]

Extension cord starter switch?

The thud and then died eh

I would have a good look at that flex plate make sure it did not crack around the hub

 

[C420sailor]

I see a tranny drop in your friend’s future

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

 

[Ynot2691]

Extension cord starter switch?

The thud and then died eh

I would have a good look at that flex plate make sure it did not crack around the hub

Yeah, this friend of theirs is a hack. They also have a Dakota pickup that had a wheel bearing on the front that was bad. He said he fixed it. All he did was pop off the dust cap and force some grease in there and called it good. Needless to say I was asked to look at it and the inner bearing rollers had been ground into oblivion. I fixed it right of course. Cleaned all the old contaminated grease out of the hub, packed and replaced inner and outer bearings and seal. I talked with her this morning about the starter situation and explained the flywheel may be damaged and made her promise me to never let her ace mechanic touch it again. If it does need a flex plate I told her that it would need to go to a shop because my interest in laying on my back pulling a big heavy transmission is somewhere way south of zero. I'll crawl under it in a bit and see if I can see anything or may have to wait and see once we get the starter situation squared away. He hooked up the extension cord because it no longer started with the ignition switch. I'm gonna check that all out and make sure it's functioning so when I put in the starter I won't have a **** show to deal with.

 

[410Fortune]

Could just have been a simple starter relay sheesh that dude is no mechanic

 

[fast_dave]

Wow - those photos of the starter are a 1st!

Now that's the definition of a catastrophic failure - thanks for sharing!