re: Ducellier 6246A starter motor

[cbrown@medicine.adelaide.edu.au]

Ducellier are common on  early alfetta's (1.8), I did mine 2 years ago,  so the
following are somewhat distant recollections. They are not an elegant unit,
small wonder Bosch are big. You have to remove the entire innards, armature
etc., the 2 long (5mm) bolts go from one end of the case to the other. It does
not have a inspection port like the bosch (as I recall), so you have to
dismember completely to even check the brushes. The worst feature is that the
brushes wires are soldered in, you will need 80W soldering iron or more, smaller
may not do it. The reassembly is trickier than normal, it is a real fiddle to
get the brushes to stay retained enough to slide over the commutator, everthing
has to go together at once. Suds may be different.

It is also worth checking the solenoid main switching plate, the copper bar that
closes the contact from input positive terminal, across to the magnets. This was
either bent or worn..., but engagement was not as positive as it should have
been. I think I may have had to cut open the end of the solenoid case, making
multiple radial cuts around the circumference of the rolled over caseing end,
and reassembly used a hose clamp to resecure the solenoid case end (this could
have been another occasion/something else though). The brushes were aust$25,
from a city auto electrician. The Ducellier has a reputation for lack of
durability, rebuilding every couple of years is not unknown. In the land of
shade tree mechanics, Ducellier are not the thing to cut ones auto electrical
teeth on. A replacement Bosch is worth considering.

chris brown