Re: starter testing

[n9ads@domain.elided (Howard R Pletcher)]

On Thu, 5 Feb 1998 12:31:18 -0500 "Danny Anderson"
<bturnip@domain.elided> writes:
>IH'ers,
>I am turning to you for the correct procedure for testing the starter
off
>the battery.  I know this is a basic test- I thought I knew how to do
it.  
>Also, what can happen if the jumper cables are hooked up incorrectly? 
>:)  
>I tried hooking the jumper cables up like I thought they were supposed
to
>be connected.  But, instead of the gear (the gear that would turn the 
>flywheel, bendix?) shooting out and spinning like I expected, I got
sparks
>and the starter literally bucked and flopped for a second.  Almost like
I
>was electrocuting it!  Yikes!
>Somebody please pull out of my pool of automotive ignorance and tell me
>what I did, what happens now, and what I should have done.
>A thousand thanks.
>
I think you didn't tie the starter down securely.  Remember one of the
basic laws of physics:action=reaction.  It takes a lot of force to start
a fairly heavy armature rotating almost instantly and if the housing
isn't bolted down, it will spin in the opposite direction instead.  Even
a small fractional HP AC motor will bounce around if you plug it in with
it loose on the floor.  And the gear only jumps out when the shaft starts
suddenly and inertia drives the gear up the sprial of the bendix drive.

Howard Pletcher
Howteron Products Scout Parts

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]