Starter cavity Okay?

[Tiggo]

Need some advice. My starter failed and after some serious surgery I was able to get it out. It is toasted but because the orings were non-existent the inside was dirty with that good-ole Alabama Red Clay. You can see the before pictures. I have since cleaned around the opening but should I just unleash a can of WD-40 or XPS Lubricant into the opening? Or is it good to go? See pictures. Thanks,
Alan

 

[etemplet]

I'd would definitely remove the mag cover and spend some time cleaning the hell out of that whole casing. You'll never get the stuff from behind the flywheel but you can do a great deal of good in there. You'd be justified pulling the flywheel but that isn't an easy job. Get a few cans of lectra- clean hose it all down and clean it as best you can. leave it open and let it all dry out before you reinstall the cover. Compressed air will help. Good Luck.

 

[Tiggo]

Cleaned it out best I could. Put the new starter in and spent a couple of hours trying to get the lower starter mounting bolt to go in. I almost killed myself...lol. Ended up taping the bolt to a long 6mm hex bolt socket and got it to go tight. One thing that stunk was the rear starter brackets bolt hole didn't line up with the engine bolt hole. It was like that when I removed the old one. I'm guessing the non-oem starters don't line up with the rear bracket. Anyone else experienced this?

 

[mikidymac]

Yea the aftermarket starters are junk, all of them.

And without that rear support bracket it will fall apart.

 

[etemplet]

Cleaned it out best I could. Put the new starter in and spent a couple of hours trying to get the lower starter mounting bolt to go in. I almost killed myself...lol. Ended up taping the bolt to a long 6mm hex bolt socket and got it to go tight. One thing that stunk was the rear starter brackets bolt hole didn't line up with the engine bolt hole. It was like that when I removed the old one. I'm guessing the non-oem starters don't line up with the rear bracket. Anyone else experienced this?

I've run into a few skis that did not have the starter bracket and they were no worse for wear. I've had 2 RFIs with no bracket and dang if they didn't look all factory in paint and installation. The starters were tight and functioning. I think some of the aftermarket starters do not have the bolts in the exact spot necessary to mount the starter bracket. I have a pile old starters so most of mine are OEM installs. Good Luck with yours.

 

[mikidymac]

I have seen at lease 6 that the entire starter fell apart from not having that bracket. But all were aftermarket so was it the missing bracket, the crap starters or a combination of both?

Typically the aftermarket starters are such a poor copy they don't fit the bracket as the endcaps are cast wrong.

 

[Tiggo]

This is the one I ordered.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KGIEX9K
I see in the comments others mentioned the bracket didn't line up. It is in there as tight as I could get it and the rear bracket hole is off by about an inch. But...it was such a beast to remove and install I am going to send it like it is. It works. The rear bracket is kind of jammed in there so is provided some support...lol. I didn't check the alignment till after installing the two main bolts. I also had to remove the exhaust pipe so I could get in there. I know people say that it can be done without removing it but I couldn't. Also, the exhaust tube bolts use some crazy blue loctite (scotch grip) and I had to cut off one of the four bolts cause it would not budge. I tried heat, penetrating oil, etc. You cannot get a good enough hold with the Hex socket bolts. Once I cut the head off and slid the pipe off, I put two nuts on the remaining threads and it came out. The lower starter Hex socket bolt was also slightly stripped which made it difficult to get out and put back in. For future starter replacements, I am not going to use any loctite but lock washers. It would be a 30 minute job if it weren't for the 4 hours to remove stuck/stripped/corroded bolts. By the way, hex head bolts won't work because you can't get a socket to tighten all the way down and no room for a wrench...I know. Also, I took the old starter apart and saw one of the brushes was stuck retracted and not touching the armature. I cleaned it, sanded the crud off, lubed it, and put it back together. It runs fine. But I wouldn't trust it. It wasn't OEM so will just hold on to it for my extra pile of SeaDoo crap...lol. Sorry for the long rant but hoping something in this thread will help others. Now waiting for replacement bolts for the exhaust pipe to button it back up. I did chase the threads with a tap to get the old crud out. One more lesson! Always start the SeaDoo up in your driveway before you head to the lake. I had it out the weekend before so assumed it was good to go. I did attempt to start it before unloading it at the ramp. Fortunately it broke there and not on the water. But if I had brain smarts I could have saved me a 1.5 hour drive to the lake and back....good times.
Alan

 

[etemplet]

I have seen at lease 6 that the entire starter fell apart from not having that bracket. But all were aftermarket so was it the missing bracket, the crap starters or a combination of both?

Typically the aftermarket starters are such a poor copy they don't fit the bracket as the endcaps are cast wrong.

Lots of junk out there. I've seen the glue on the magnets let go in less than 6 months. They are sealed poorly and moisture gets in there and corrods the brushes. I don't install the starters without brackets in place.