Starter motor--question before I reinstall

K

Kozmonot

Junior Member
Working on this old doodlebug and bench tested the starter. Only 12 V available at the time and the RPM seems to be roughly 80. (I kept tests really short due to 12v but long enough to reach the max speed.)

Before I reinstall, does that RPM seem adequate or is it slow? Thinking when I go to 6v and under a bit of load, it might be dropping even lower which seems darned slow to me...but I have no clue what these normally run.

Hand turning is not hard but feels like a bit of drag--like old gunked bearings where the thick grease drags. I don't want to "dig in" unless you folks think it really needs attention.

And..if I do have to dig in a bit, am I opening a can of worms?

Bendix stuff seems to be working extremely well and is completely free moving.

Trying to keep costs down as I've over-done it already. Dang, these things can nickel and dime you if you let em.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Although a starter motor may spin nicely without load this doesn't necessarily mean it'll work satisfactorily when installed. I know of no easy way of load testing these things on the work bench .. it's a 15 minute job to fit it to the car and test it in situ.. and you get quicker after you've done it a few times :)
 
Make sure your grounds are good. No paint on either the ell housing or the mating surface of the starter.
Paul in CT
 
Dyke's Automobile & Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia notes that the Model A's starter should normally turn at 1500 RPM drawing 175 Amps @ 6V, and produce a torque of 3 lbs-ft. Powering the starter with 12V should make it run faster, and produce more torque.
 
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