Greasing up the bendix
 

At 5*F today my starter gear did not want to retract, I've noticed it below 15*F but today was pretty bad. I'm sure some of you guys have regreased your starter bendix gears, looking for a better cold weather grease that is safe to use on electronics. This is on the convertible so ideally it's also okay for warmer weather once the seasons change.

Currently my money is tied up in the rx8 so I'm trying to avoid dropping a couple hundred bucks on a new starter. I think this is the coldest it will get here, but I don't want to kill my starter and don't want to grind the teeth on my flywheel. I'd take the mazda but I managed to flood it yesterday...

Any recommendations on grease or thoughts?

Sent from an abacus

In my experience starter motors do often suffer from too much muck - but this is more often than not just on the sliding parts near to the Bendix gear.

If your starter motor can be taken to pieces a good clean out with brake cleaner and the a good dry will often help. Scored commutators and nadgered (technical term) brushes are the parts that usually show the most wear.

If you do grease moving parts use a high temp grease - but use it so it is almost not there. Grease is really just more glue for muck - then you're back to square one again.

Thanks stretch. I wouldn't doubt that it's pretty mucked up. It's just the bendix gear that is giving me issues -- regular starter is strong as heck far as I can tell. I figured a good clean would do wonders but the problem is definitely part with whatever lubricant is used since it's only when cold. I don't want to just clean and use a similar lubricant that will have the same result.


Sent from an abacus

5*?!?!?!?! :eek:

It was a brisk 48* this morning at 0530 when I hopped on my motorcycle to head to work! :P

You poor soul! Must have even had to wear a jacket :D


Sent from an abacus

Actually had to layer up!

48* ambient at 45-50MPH on the motorcycle makes it like 38* with windchill! :eek:

Guys on the kappa forums are saying it's an issue with the power steering pump and the fluid being too thick on cold days. I'll be damned if it's not a starter tooth grind! Here's a video I took this morning

http://youtu.be/RR-c9R2exzw


Sent from an abacus

I have seen very good results with moly paste on the splines on the bendix helical gear and also on the flywheel teeth - engages quietly and firmly - The paste you can buy at a honda store - its what they recommend to use on the final drive line of a Honda Goldwing, its also used in assembling engines and also on brake work in Honda.

Is it a little bit like the ATE brake assembly paste?

(If you've ever tried that stuff as well)

Well the sky guys confirmed that the noise I'm hearing is the power steering pump and is allegedly normal (or at least experienced by others).


Sent from an abacus

Nevermind :)

I agree with Stretch above - the cause of the sticking probably isnt the grease, its the muck. De-muck the system and any grease you use will probably be ok.

On the conveyor systems I've seen - if the system was in a warehouse-sized freezer- they replaced the oil (or drained it entirely) with something low-temperature rated. If it bugs you that much, there are greases advertised as being made for low temperatures.

Next year (or later), if it gets this cold, you might be mucked up again enough to stick- not sure that better grease would solve this. I would say that this is the price you pay for not replacing the starter in the first place.

Whenever I've home-rebuilt a starter, I used wheel-bearing grease on the bendix and 'outside' sliding parts - I dont remember this setup ever giving me a problem (but nor did it often get to 0*F outside...except that 240D I drove to Chicago 8 times over a winter install project... and nor did I keep that car for more than 4 years after...)
-John

No its not the same entirely - it is used for extreme high pressure points - the final drive in the honda goldwing (shaft drive motorcycle) is under extreme pressure and temperature when power is applied - using any generic grease on such application wears out the splines on the unit, thats why the moly paste is specified.

In brake work its specified to be applied to the back and sides of the brake pads (not the pins) - it prevents the brake pad from sticking and the moly content even works in aged and dried form.

A very old timer who used to repair starters told me about such moly paste (he called it something else because he used to work in railway). - Grease on the splines on the starter bendix helical gear will attract dirt/muck and bind.

What about some SuperLube?

Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease
High Temperature/Extreme Pressure Grease
Silicone Lubricating Grease with Syncolon® (PTFE)

I'm interested in finding gucci alternatives to grease for these kind of situations - in the military I was told in dusty conditions "guns get oiled" with graphite - in damp Holland the chances of finding dust outside of your living room are small so I've always gone for grease - but broadening my thinking to other parts of the world I can imagine that grease might not be so clever.

(Sorry to carry on about the grease thing when the OP's problem is now a steering pump)

The "they all do that" argument has always irritated me. But I won't jump on my soap box today...

...well a quick step up and a fast step back down!