Need WD starter

Keith Molden

Well-known Member
Wondering if anyone would have a starter for a WD for sale. Mine quit working, brushes are good, new pull start, but ther armature appears to have some cracks in it. I can't seem to get any power through the starter at all. I have power down to the pull start (where the cable goes on and pull rod attaches) and have good continuity at the brushes and when the starter arm is pulled,but not even a slight click when the rod is pulled. Battery has 6.7 volts in it so it should turn over. Hand crank will start it fine but at my age I kinda need the starter to work LOL. Keith
 
Remove the battery cable from the (silly) starter switch, then remove the starter switch from the belly of the starter and touch the battery cable to the copper "pad" on the belly of the starter that used to be covered by the silly starter switch, and let us know what happens.

If still no spark/starter operation, it's possible that the solder joint inside the starter connecting that copper bolt to the heavy copper field windings has broken loose.

Outside of the switch and that solder joint ist's SELDOM that a starter fails completely "open" and does nothing.
 
Have you bench tested it yet? Remove from tractor and try. Might just be a bad connection, or bad ground.
AaronSEIA
 
Usually when they quit completely it is the switch loosing contact. However if you find that it has major internal issues do not be afraid of the aftermarket starters. We put one on our WD and it whips it over on 6V like the OEM never did.
 
Got it fixed today. I have worked on equipment all my life but I swear I just don't think like I used too. I always said use the kiss method (keep it simple stupid). I put the multimeter on the starter and had 6.8 volts today after we charged it a few minutes, but what I didn't do was check the voltage when the starter rod was pulled. was taking the starter back off and touched the hot cable on the tranny and didn't see any sparks. Pulled the ground cable bolt and there was the rust, cleaned it up and she started like she always has. Does anyone else have days and weeks that they really can't think of the normal stuff that was routine a few years ago? Sure makes me feel stupid sometimes. Thanks for the help from all you guys. Keith
 
Well see there's your problem the simple stuff got you LOL. But yes many times it is something stupid and simple that get you and you try a ton of stuff before you do that oh wait I should check this or that first. Had something like that happen to me not long ago on my Oliver S88. It would not run like it should and kept dying on me. I should have check my fuel flow but didn't. Found a piece of junk in the sediment bowl shut off valve which was clogging the line and shutting off the flow
 
Keith,
I spent most my working life in factories working on the control circuitry of automated machines and I was always amazed at how often the fix when I was called was the simple problem. And I was always amazed at how many times I would skip over thinking about the simple things. It's human nature, I guess.

Also, a good share of the unusual problems ended up being a ground problem.

Always look for the obvious even though you don't believe what you see is the immediate problem you have. "Fix the obvious and the wierd will go away"

A good technician learns by pulling his hair out trying to find a problem. There is no school or training that can teach troubleshooting. It comes by pulling your hair out trying to fix something.
 
Not unusual with all the rust on old tractors or even after you've cleaned up and restored since the paint can wreak havoc with the grounds too. Once its totally cleaned, then it helps to use external tooth lock washers. I just bought a couple of bags of them in 1/2 and 5/8s this morning and use them in other sizes constantly. Whether paint or rust, they work surprisingly well to provide solid grounding contact. I use them even where AC didn't originally just for ensuring ground. This is especially important on the later machines where they moved the battery to the back deck and the starter has to connect through high rust areas like fender mounts and ops platforms.
 

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