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Don't buy a cheap aftermarket starter - here's why

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pyro

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Ok, so many of you know this already. But if you need some convincing, this is hopefully it. Don't buy a cheap aftermarket starter. I was told the same thing on these forums, but didn't listen since there was no "proof". Hopefully this is "proof" for someone else:

I was debugging a starter issue where the motor would struggle to turn over with the plugs in. It turned out the cause was because of long jumper cables to an external battery in my test setup. But not knowing this at the time, and being very confused of what is wrong, I decided to get a cheap $70 aftermarket starter on ebay. I believe the $100-$120 starters from other places online are identical Chinese junk.

I have had it in for about one month working fine. Two salt days, 2 freshwater days. Very little water in the bilge, defiantly didn't get on the starter. The starter is rusting in one month! I ended up shorting out the positive to ground (due to over tightening the positive wire because of what I believe to be a very bad design in the seadoo starter, not just the chinese version). So I took it apart. The screws that hold the motor together are already rusting. I originally chipped a few small flecks of paint off the outside cover installing it and now the outside metal is rusting. I took the thing apart and even the inside case is rusting from the inside. The quality of the metal is chinese garbage that will rust amazing quickly.

Now I don't completly regret the decision because when the new starter did the same as the old one, it was another piece of information. I consider it my service charge at the dealer to tell me what was wrong.

If anyone is considering replacing their starter with the cheap ones, I couldn't see the metal lasting for more than 1-2 years. If your getting it for a test, than maybe its worth it. If you are getting as a replacement, then do not get it. It would be interesting to know people's experience with the "Aqua High Torque" motors. Perhaps their quality is a little better.

I ended up replacing the two brushes in the original motor and rebuilt it. Works perfectly and is in great condition. The metal case is a completly different material and is MUCH better quality. Paint was already chipped off this one, and their is no signs of any rusting.

Hope this helps convince someone...

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I'll also throw in some helpful hints about the bad design of this Seadoo starter. When replacing the positive brush there is a very small piece of plastic that acts as the nut on the inside of the case. When you start tightening a nut on the outside terminal bolt, you put a lot of pressure on this little plastic nut on the inside. I ended up breaking this when torqueing the positive terminal onto the starter bolt. There is only a few mm of clearance from what seperates the positive lead to the grounded case. This imo, is a terrible design. When you break the little plastic nut on the inside, you start twisting the whole positive bolt. Then the positive bolt or brush touches the case. The manual tells you to use RED locktite on this tiny bolt. I think this is because the design is not good.

So to install my positive lead on my new motor I was very careful to not apply to much torque on the first nut that holds the positive bolt in place. I then took the positive terminal and tightened it between two additional bolts. I torqued the hell out of those two against each other, making sure not to apply any pressure on the original nut or bolt. The + bolt on the starter isn't quite long enough for all three nuts. The last bolt fits only 1/2 to 3/4 but it looks like it makes a good connection. I also used lock washers and locktite since I have so many problems with these starters.
 
A problem I recently had with a cheap e-bay starter was that apparently, someone had dropped it and slightly bent the output shaft. I didn't notice it.

I used it for about 10 trips, and it seemed to be working OK, but it would periodically spin for a few seconds and stop like my starter switch had been let off, but I still had my finger on it.

I didn't think anything of it.

Then one time, it did it, and never started again. Just CLICK but the engine felt like it was seized. This engine had barely turned over it's 10 hour break-in period, and yet felt seized.

Luckily it happened on the trailer before we launched...

Pulled it back home, pulled the starter first thing, and as soon as it came out, I could turn the motor over by hand (spark plugs out, of course).

So, on recommendation of a reputable member on this board, I bought an SBT rebuilt starter for a little over $100. While I was waiting for it to ship, I had the old starter on my desk, and I would rolll the gear just out of boredom while reading emails, etc. Well, one day, I actually looked at it while I was spinning the gear and noticed it bounce up and down as I spun it. Put a dial indicator on it, and it was out by .100". Then I looked closely on the low side, and I could see that it had been dropped and hit the edge of the shaft, leaving a very small dimple in it.

It was enough that one time it just jammed into the flywheel and stuck.

I noticed after installing the SBT that it spun MUCH faster and stronger, as if I had a stronger battery. So, hindsight being 20/20, I now recognize that it was having to work harder as it got tight at each revolution of the starter gear.
 
Your new sbt starter spun the motor faster because it had a fresh set of brushes in it. When brushes wear out they make less contact with the armature and the current will spin the armature slower and with less torque. That SBT starter is about as good as the aqua torque ones. Rebuild your stocker for a backup. Those brushes are made up of brass and when you take apart your starter the brush residue is all over inside it and sometimes mixed with water.



Yeah my buddy bought one of those cheap starters on e-bay, the company is in like Tenn, DB Electrical it's called. JUNK. Anyways the starter on his kawi 550 lasted less then a year. The brushes worn out and that was the cause. I had an aqua torque in one of my kawi's before and had problems once they started to get water in them.

With my 96xp my starter was acting up like you stated, turning over hard and slow and sometimes not at all. It cost me $45 bucks total for the positve and neg brush kit for my stock seadoo 800 starter. She works like a charm now. It was pretty easy to replace the brushes too.

I think the only other aftermarket starter i would maybe try is a GOKI

You should always stick to stock oem parts when it comes to starter. Most of those aftermarket starters don't have the brush kits availiable to rebuild them, and then you have to buy a new one.
 
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ok guys im on the other side of the fence a bit on this one . recently i had a customer with a speedster 4tec , he too bought his starter from the retail slaughter house . it lasted 2 cranks . i tore it down it i have NEVER EVER seen one look this bad , just melted to hell . but here is what i do know . i get all of my starters and altenators from db electrical on ebay , in the past 3 years of using them i have had one yes 1 small blaock starter puke a solenoid . i use them for my ski starter too and at first i thought they were china junk but they have the same markings in the same place they same numbers and everything . to this day none have failed or rusted and they sell for the same price as the cheapies . now i dont know if they are rebuilds or what but if they are then they do a mighty fine rebuild . but nothing is ever as good as factory . and nothing is better than a factory rebuild you did your self
 
I will buy a new db starter for my kawi next year, then im going to sell it lol.

DB electrical did on my request send me a new brush kit but after putting the brush kit in the bendix took a shit. I called then and asked for a new bendix and they said all they have availiable is brush kits and that's it. So that sucked!!
 
I never knew SBT sold starters. If it ever died again, I would probably try them out if it was around $100. Good to know...
 
So two years later (and one month later), I'm back on google looking for the cause of why my starter motor rusted to death inside, and my own thread pops up. I almost forgot about what I went through previously.

My OEM starter which was completely rebuilt 2 years ago worked great but finally died today. I went to winterize after about 2 months of not using it and the bendix was not engaging. I could hear it spinning around but not cranking the engine. Next day, I went to start again and absolutely nothing except the solenoid click. Took it out and the inside is totally rusted. The outside case is still OK.

Not sure how water got in there, but perhaps I had a problem back with my chinese starter and still have the same problem. At least the oem worked for 2 years, and the chinese one worked for about 1 month.

Still looking for the cause of how it became so rusted. I might post a pic of the starter later.
 
I've had a bit of water come over the top when sinking the bow a bit through a wake, but not much. Never enough to notice any water come out of the bilge drain after I pull it up on the trailer for the day. Never rolled or sunk it bad.

starter_rusted.JPG



I looked into the crankcase with a mirror and a bit of the flywheel teeth have a tiny bit of rust on them, but probably just from the starter. The pocket that the bendix fits into had a tiny bit of rust, more like rust dust from the starter. Hitting it with fine steel wool cleaned it up pretty easily. It's mostly on this starter.

I'm going to order a new starter o ring, or perhaps put a tiny bead of silicone around the existing o-ring to attempt to better seal it. I'm a little worried about breaking the ground connection betwen the motor and rest of engine. Would it be bad to put some marine grease on the teeth?

I'm debating taking the starter apart again, but I think I'm going to skip that since it seems to be running fine (on the bench) ever since I unfrooze the bendix.
 
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I should mention the gasket around the magneto connector is completly gone and now the connector just sits in the open hole in the case. I just sealed it with some silicone.
 
Dont worry about the silicon bead.The bolts bite in enough to get a great electrical connection
 
Silicone that and take the front cover off and seal with silicone. Any water it the housing will rust up a bendix.
 
The oil pump is mounted on the front of the cover. Do I have to take this off or can it stay attatched to the cover? Don't really understand how it works inside and I don't want to mess with the oil pump.
 
Just wanted to add to this....I agree with boatmonkey.....For the past 2 years I have been getting my starters from DB electrical. The prices are right and I havent had any problems from them. Most of them look identical to the OEM. I have prob used them for about 10-15 starters for all types of skis, boats, my dads outboard motor, and even my own car. They give a year warranty and for me it works great because they come the next morning if I order it by 3pm eastern time. (Im in VA). I got the 1st one off ebay and since then I just call them directly.
 
I bought a starter from them last June for my Nephews Yamaha.
They also carry high performance mini starters, HP alternators, bikes and ATV starters,custom made battery cables, all automobiles stuff, Lawn & Garden and they are
Farm & Industrial specialists.....according to their flyer.
 
I bought a starter from them last summer ran a tank out went to crank after refueling and heard awful noise. Put it on trailer and brought it home. After checking, the shaft was broken in two. To their defense they sent me a new starter.
 
I don't know about their other items by their new starters are Chinese junk, like on EBay.

Lou
 
You can put any brand you want in pyro's engine and it's gonna fail. Minnetonka4me nailed it with also sealing the mag cover. You can see from his starter pic that there is a bad case of water intrusion.
 
And if the water is in the mag housing long enough it will build a rust ring around the crank and that rust will rip the main seal up. Then...motor go boom.
 
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