I just rebuilt and reinstalled the motor in my truck. It has been about 2.5 months. Now she won't start. The starter makes a clunk and I have a huge draw on my voltmeter.

I repalced the battery because mine was getting long in the tooth, I also replaced the cable ends.

I disassembled the starter, cleaned all the carbon built up along the armature, I greased all the gears, and checked the brushes. Everything is within spec of the FSM. The brushes and replacement tabs inside the magnetic switch assembly are about 3 years old and have lots of life in them per my caliper.

Does anybody have an idea where to look next? I'd rather not shotgun a starter at this if I don't have to since they have lots of repairable parts.

 

After I disassembled, cleaned, and reinstalled the starter I got about a hlaf turn out of it before it stopped spinning and started clicking again.

Could this be a voltage issue? I never noticed the truck to have issues starting prior to the motor rebuild.

 

My Buddies 4 Runner did this. New Starter from Toyota. Fixed.

My Toyota is doing this. New Starter waiting install.

I would remove the Starter again and take it to your local Parts House for Bench Testing.

 

If it stops and there is a huge draw something may be preventing that motor from turning or the starter may be binding. try turning the motor over by hand, if you cant, remove the starter and try.

id also take a look at the teeth on the flywheel and starter

 

This is a long shot, but you could have a shorted winding in the armature. If by bad luck you stop with the commutator on that winding, you're putting current into a short. If instead you stop on one of the good windings, as it spins momentum carries it through the bad one.

You can test this with a good ohmmeter; check every pair of commutator plates, and see if you have one that's really low. The only repair is to replace the rotor, which really means replace the starter.

When you say you have a "huge draw on my voltmeter," I assume you mean "I show a big voltage drop across the battery." Unless you have a DC clamp ammeter, which is a whole different animal.

 

hit the starter with a hammer might be your starter

 

well, since you just rebuilt the motor, i'd put a ratchet on the crank bolt and see if the motor will spin over by hand. this would cause a high amp draw.

 

Concur with all of the above. (Including "hammer" J/K).

 

I know the motor turns. I've turned it several times with a ratchet while setting the valves and getting the timing close. So I know it isn't a seized motor.

For s&g's I threw the battery charger on for a couple of minutes. And she started to crank. But like a dumass I let off the key before it fired, partly because I was shocked that it turned over. Now it just clicks. So the battery charger will stay on overnight and we'll see what happens in the AM.

 

Well I left the battery on the charger over night and then boosted it with a jumpbox and she started. I'm not sure if the battery was low from trying to start it, or if the charged battery and booster box over came the short. Well see if I can keep starting it over the next few days.

 

If it shows up again, I'd look hard at the COR (Circuit Open Relay).

 

I would not

COR has no effect on cranking circuit, although hearing it click/energized while trying to start (crank) the engine, but not getting starter to turn over is a symptom of a cranking system problem. Here's how COR works.