I recently had an issue with my truck not turning over and starting on random occasions. Upon turning the key, I would get a loud "click" but the starter would not turn the engine over. I had to attempt to start the truck multiple times before it would turn over. First I checked to see if the alternator was functioning by checking battery voltage, and all was good so I suspected the starter was the culprit. Typically with the Nippon-Denso starters found in these trucks are dead nuts reliable and only require periodic solenoid contact or brush replacements. I've heard that typically the contacts will go before the brushes, so I ordered a replacement set. Here is what the set looks like:





If you are not sure what these pieces are, keep reading. First I disconnected the battery and took the starter out, which really could not be easier. 1 bolt and 1 nut (18mm) and it is off.




Rest it on the diff to take the 2 top electrical connections off





Filthy starter




Clean starter







For this job we need to take the solenoid cover off








Solenoid in the resting / non-excited position




Solenoid in the excited position (ie. when you turn the key to start the truck)




Taking the plunger out you can see everything more clearly...




View of the worn contacts



The problem that normally occurs is that the solenoid excites (hence the "click" sound) but makes insufficient contact between the copper ring on the plunger and the copper contacts to send current through to the electric motor.

To get the contacts out, there are 2 nuts that hold them in from the outside...




There are quite a few little pieces held in here, so I took pictures as I went to make sure they were reassembled in the same fashion

Long side







Short side







Once the contacts were out I decided to check the brushes to see how they looked. Simply take the 2 long bolts and the 2 phillips screws off the top of the starter to access them. Pop the top cap off and you will see this:




You can easily verify the amount of material left on the brushes by using the wire connected to the brushes versus the bottom of the cutout as a guide:



As you can see the wire is almost at the top of the notch in the holder, this indicates that the brushes are hardly worn and will be good for a long while yet. All 4 of mine looked like this, so I was happy. Also take a look at the armature and check that it is not grooved, pitted, etc.

I cleaned up a bit of dust and closed up the electric motor. Back to the solenoid, I compared the old contacts to the new ones












Old plunger vs. new







Housing all cleaned up and new contacts re-assembled




Plunger back in


Done! Just stick the cover back on, put the starter in and you are ready to rock. After I was done and tested it out, the truck turned over a hell of a lot stronger than it used to. Very happy with the fix and it cost me only $10 USD vs. $150+ for a new or reman. starter. This fix should last the life of the truck. I couldn't find a local place to get both the contacts and the plunger so I ordered them off eBay. People were trying to sell me just the contacts locally for $20. Seller is called starter1charge and was great to deal with and shipped fast. Here is a link (hope it's allowed):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201276899231?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

When i went to replace my starter the copper bolt just spun so i couldn't get the nut off. If you try this rebuild see if you can remove the nuts first or you will need more parts. Nice write up!

 

Going to move this to the DIY section.

Thanks. Great write up.