'85 L200 4G63 suspected bad starter solenoid?

Hi,

I've been having some issues lately with my '85 L200.

Randomly it does not want to kick in and start, I suspect the starter solenoid since giving it a few gentle taps seem to help.

Does anyone have experience disassembling and cleaning the internals of these, and would like to give some tips and tricks?

I've tried to search around, but haven't found any info on them. A new starter and solenoid is an alternative, about $160 from the UK and I am willing to pay that amount if I can't fix the one I have. Just not completely sure about the parts number and if it fits, although it should be compatible with the L300 4G63 which is the same engine. https://www.ebay.com/itm/371668256052


In addition to this issue, it started to be a nuisance to start a few days ago if it's warm and been sitting more than 10 minutes. A regular stop and start is no issue. Cold start, no issue. I checked the spark gap of the thingy I can't remember the name of (inside the distributor) and adjusted it to 0,4mm when open. Power got better, but starting issue persisted. No other issue when it's already up and running.

Any tips? Thanks!

I've resuscitated a few starter motors. They aren't that complicated to pull apart and clean out (just cleaning them goes a long way) The thing that will cause intermittent start problems are the brushes and the commutator. The brushes get clogged up with debris and jam in their housings which prevents them from making full contact with the commutator. It will have a weak turn over and subsequently won't engage. Be aware that you may need to replace the brush assembly if it's worn way down. When you strip it down to clean it out, use a spray solvent that won't attack the varnish on the electrical windings. Take a tooth brush to the internal case once you've pulled the armature out and really scrub the hell out of everything. Advice - don't disassemble the starter solenoid. Leave it installed and intact. There are a ton of youtube videos on pulling apart a starter motor and way too many are just bad or incomplete. I have found a decent one on how to service the commutator (I would put the butt end of the armature in a drill press chuck and reface the commutator contacts with fine wet and dry paper and something to hold the sandpaper flat on the copper contacts while you have it turning) The video is on a Bosch 110 starter but the principle is the same. I'd be a lot more thorough on cleaning it. Starters can be stubborn to get to kick over after a clean out so bench test it until you get it to kick every start before installing.

If you have a local alternator exchange or other automotive electrical shop, they may be able to rebuild your starter and/or solenoid at very reasonable cost.

Also clean all your grounds from the battery to the tray, the tray to the frame, and the frame to the block. Also run a ground from the heat shield on the firewall to the exhaust manifold stud if you don't have one already. Grounds can cause you all kinds of weird issues with these trucks.

A bit of a late update on this, I opened the starter and cleaned it out, it was as good as new afterwards. It had accumulated a lot of black gunk and engine oil due to a leaky rocker cover gasket. This is a long time ago, but I just stumbled upon my own unsolved post now.