Has anyone tried to replace the starter solenoid without removing the starter from the engine in the car? I attempted to remove the starter but was unsuccessful. I have an extra starter with a good solenoid. Car is an 85D Cali car with the solenoid under the starter.

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'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

Finally got the starter out. This is one job i hope i will never do again in the near future. The solenoid got stuck in the on position and took out the bendix. How do you remove the bendix from the armature? Some literature says that there is a c-clip holding the thrust washer but i cant see it. Also, can someone comment on the "meat" left on the commutator? The starter is 30 yrs old with 312000 miles on it. Rebuilding this starter will be about a third of the cost of a remanufactured one.

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'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

A good alt/starter shop will have the expertise to advise you correctly on ' go or no go' specs.... a shop is well worth the investment since you have done the work of getting it out..
It is important for longevity of the brushes that you have the armature as close to perfect as possible... and you need to clean out between the copper laminations.. without creating any burrs.... find a good shop and be thankful they are available...

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Agreed. Take it to a shop. They'll stick it on a growler, measure the parts that wear, replace brushes, shim the ends up and give it back. Ready for another 30 years.

Stretch's thread proved to us how well built these motors are and how a servicing will bring them back to life.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

I really want to do this on my own. I already sourced the parts needed. All original parts.

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'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

An OM617 starter motor is for LIFE not just for Christmas!

Bam! All you need to get er done.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

LOL, you have proposed two diametrically opposed goals.... do a starter rebuild yourself... unless you have a lathe set up for it... and it lasting a long time...

Question for guys that rebuild starters/alternators | The H.A.M.B.

https://www.google.com/search?q=starter+armature++lathe++cutting&biw=729&bih=334&tbm=isch&imgil=z1pchpmNo02oHM%253A%253BSldLxyJOr3iNpM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.mtfca.com%25252Fdiscus %25252Fmessages%25252F29%25252F23347.html%25253F1168565803&source=iu&pf=m&fir=z1pchpmNo02oHM%253A%252CSldLxyJOr3iNpM%252C_&dpr=1.88&usg=__8nlXVbROgpR5ZDZ7Lt1j4sCZD0w%3D&ved=0ahUKEwit7uDourTJAhWRlIgKHcQrAU8QyjcIJg&ei=9VFaVu2fHpGpogTE14T4BA#imgrc=z1pchpmNo02oHM%3A&usg=__8nlXVbROgpR5ZDZ7Lt1j4sCZD0w%3D

It is YOUR starter.... and you are free to do with it as you wish....

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

I would....actually I have....just go to O'Reilly's and pick up a life time one for 90$.....boom...bang....done...

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Lifetime starters are false economy when you end up changing it every year or two for the rest of the car's life... The "rebuilt" starters and alternators that part store chains sell are pretty much tested, broken part replaced, cleaned, painted, and put back in the box. I can't BEGIN to tell you how many bad alternators I got from Orielly's and Autozone at the shop I worked at. Constantly doing warranty work. Keep the original and rebuild it per Stretch's thread and reinstall. It'll be way better than "rebuilt" junk.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

Well then, I wonder what little elf has been running around replace both mine every year.....because I need them to replace other things...

euro has been using a lifetime starter for 5 years, lifetime alternator for 7 and was only exchanged after the voltage regular went bad on one that was bought 15 years before....78 has been using one for the last 3 years....

Need to stop, pushing your "personal" experiences....

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Isn't that basically all you are doing?

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Exactly.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

Man, I am very very happy that you've had such good luck. Honestly, I am. I'm just pointing out that the handful you have experience with is dwarfed in comparison to the amount I have had problems with. DOA was the most common, but I also had others that had an abnormally short service life on the order of a few hours (the most irritating) to a few months.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

You guys need to go smash cast iron bath tubs together....

If I have ever seen true love on a forum, it is you two....But buddies to the end!!!!

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Well you know what you do then....You tell the guy behind the counter to test that starter/alternator/battery before you walk out the door....BAM throws the DOA excuse out the window...

And I am just pointing out, the amount of fully working life time guaranteed parts....running on peoples cars, are dwarfed by the few you have seen DOA....Because common sense tells a person, well if its working why would they bring it into the shop?

Just because you think your so special....working on thousands and thousands and many more thousands of cars.....doesn't mean there aren't other mechanics out there....

And well if you worked at anyplace that fully understood the quality of workmanship....You wouldn't be installing oreilly rebuilt lifetime parts on customers cars.....you would give the customer a quote for a factory new unit, to avoid returns from customers on parts that failed....costing both shop time and employee wages....

Stop trying to win, your not going to.......

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