1028 with electrical gremlins (click when you twist the ignition)

[Ridgeback]

Good work!

If there were a short, then I'd expect blown fuses or melted fusible links. My guess would be a bad starter solenoid.

And you get the cigar...I checked the circuit all the way to the starter...it was good to go. I decided to try and jump the starter direct (24v hot off the battery), and it didn't even wiggle. Haha! I think I have a bad selenoid, if not a bad starter itself! Did I do that right? I'm not looking forward to having to drop it in those confined spaces.

Any suggestions on where to pick up a starter really quick? Does a Napa stock 24v starters? Better to rebuild, or buy one off fleabay? NoVa guys - any recommended shops local? Muchas gracias!

 

[Firejareen]

Arties Auto Electric in Manassas on 28... Number in building is 703-361-1717, address 7619 Centreville Rd, Manassas, VA 20111. Can rebuild it for you pretty quick

 

[Ridgeback]

Thanks Firejareen - that's good news. I like what you have done with your 1028! It's kind of where I want to go with Merle!

 

[Ridgeback]

Alright I'm ordering a new starter, and I'll have this one rebuilt to go in my private CUCV PLL, along with a full set of glow plugs and a few other goodies.

Q1) Realizing that opinions are like @$$holes, talk to me about good starter manufacturers? I think the ChiCom version currently under there lasted all of about a month. Is a Delco rebuild really worth the extra $hekels?

(http://www.cncelectrical.com/servlet/the-8522/24V-CUCV-DELCO-STARTER/Detail) - this guy?
or
(http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-1334-chevy-gmc-truck-ckrv-starter-62-65-blazer-military-24v-6598.aspx) perhaps?

Theories on the board vary, just looking for some input. I'm OK with having to have 2 starters O/H at any given time - as a former Cav guy and the owner of a 49 Plymouth, I know vehicles break when they are old and you thump on them.

Q2) I'm gonna drop the starter tonight, after work. I have read and reread the -20... and the starter under there looks quite different than the old OE. Will I really need to drop the access cover on the transmission? I have changed a few starters in my life, but never had to shim one into compliance - is this common on CUCV's? Any tips/ tricks for a guy learning this the hard way?


Thanks,
Pete (Ridgeback)

 

[Hasdrubal]

Get an original 27MT direct drive and rebuild it. All they need is new brushes, bushings and a bendix. I do it myself, get 6 years out of it, on second rebuild now.

From another member ; The CUCV 27MT starter motor is a heavy-duty part, with increased strength pinion and ring gear teeth. The reason GM went to the gear reduction was cost savings and that's it. Not because they were better. Heavy copper wound starters cost BUCKS $$$ You can wind on a Direct drive till the batteries suck into a vacuum and not hurt them. Try that with the GR and you will melt it.

 

[Ridgeback]

Thanks Hasdrubal... neat nod to Hannibal's less well known (and less successful) brother!

I purchased a starter from DB electric - hope they get it here in time for me to work on it over Veterans Day. In the meantime, I'm going to have the current (dead) one rebuilt by the electric shop in Manassas that Firejareen recommended...that way I'll have a spare on hand for future emergencies.

 

[Ridgeback]

According to FEDEX, my starter should land today....too bad I have to head down to my Mom's place and help her set up for an oyster roast. Oh well, I have Monday off (hooray for Federal Holidays), and I'll Git 'R Dun then!

 

[Ridgeback]

DB electric shipped my starter out right quick - it got here Fri evening. I'm gonna be a busy puppy tomorrow!

 

[Ridgeback]

Victory! It only cost me about an hour under Merle and one skinned knuckle. I'll post pics in a few...after I get cleaned up. I did use some of my old BDAR training and a little ingenuity to get him up in the air enough to slide the starter out and back in...probably need to get myself one of those Hi-Lift jacks. All my stuff was too short by 12" at least!

 

[WARWAG]

Never crawl under a vehicle supported by a Hi Lift. You can get a 4 ton (4" to 20" in three pumps) Floor jack for $99 at Harbor freight and a set of there 6 ton jack stands for $37.

On another note. Im glad you fixed your truck.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

I agree. I put my bottle jack up on blocks or use a floor jack, then I always use jack stands once I get it up.

I had some new tires installed recently, and was absolutely cringing when I saw them just relying on two jacks to support each axle.

 

[Ridgeback]

Yeah... My 5-ton floor jack couldn't even come close to pushing the frame up enough to get that required space under the front diff. You guys don't want to know how I did it...but suffice to say that a cherry picker can come in handy from time to time! Once I got it lifted, I did put some 5-ton jack stands and blocks under the rails there to keep it up there... but I need to figure something else out. I would only use the hi-lift jack to get it to the proper altitude...anybody know if they sell extra hi-lift jack stands? I see Harbor Freight's 6 ton stands are only $39, but are they going to be tall enough for what I need?

 

[Ridgeback]

Well, that starter I installed in Nov '13 is dead already...not even 18mos out of it. Worse yet, it crapped the bed in the parking garage at the metro station (wife's truck took a lacrosse ball thru the sunroof and was in the shop, so she took my car and I drove Merle), so I will have to lug all my **** there and try to swap starters (just ordered another gear redux) in place. What a nut roll. Maybe next time, I'll buy the rebuilt OEM version... These Mexican/Chinese rebuilds, while significantly cheaper, aren't cutting the mustard I the longevity department.