This is one of the last things I need to do for the engine I'm (slowly) building for the project XR125L. Other than the starter motor, there's a carb, carb isolator, sprocket, and sprocket cover. Then the engine's done.
I fished around in my (many) boxes of JC30E parts and found a starter motor.
It doesn't look very nice, but this is an original OEM Honda one, not a cheap after market one.
Boat anchor - the perfect starting point.
There are a couple of alignment marks build in to the casting of the end caps. I wasn't sure if the middle section needs to be clocked the same, but I didn't want to take a chance, so I marked that too.
There's two big bolts that run the length of the motor. Removing them lets you pull the two end plates off.
This is the inside of the front end plate. You can see there's a seal here. This is where the shaft comes out of the motor body. The seal size is an unusual one, and I could only find two people selling it - some rando in the US that didn't ship to the UK, and Honda. My seal didn't look too bad and was still soft and pliable. I decided to leave it alone and reuse it.
There's an o-ring seal around the nose of the starter motor. This seals against the stator cover. I remove this to prep for paint.
As it worked out, I didn't paint that area anyway as I masked it off. Oh well. I will replace that seal anyway when I put it all back together.
I couldn't remember if the middle part of the starter motor was black or silver (and couldn't tell from the motor itself!) so I went with black.
Each to their own with how they paint, but I use a high temp self etching primer for all engine parts (including the starter motor).
Then I used high temp silver for both end caps.
And high temp epoxy black for the main body.
Starting to put it all back together. I have a multi assortment of o-rings and I used that to replace all the o-rings on the starter motor. This works well, except for this o-ring on the nose of the starter. I don't know it yet, but I will have to replace this one.
I had to wait for a few days before I could do the next step. There's a couple of big seals I needed to order - one between the main body and each end cap, so two in total. I thought they had been crushed over time, but the new ones were also square cross section, so the old ones were perfectly fine. I use the new ones anyway and keep the old ones for spare.
In the plastic bags are the new brushes and brushes holder, and the two new seals I just mentioned. On the right are the old brushes and brushes holder, various o-rings and electrical isolation washers. Across the top is the starter motor without any of the seals or o-rings installed, the two long bolts that hold it together, and the old seals.
New on the left and old on the right. N.B. There's a square plastic isolator still installed around the live terminal on the old brushes holder that needs moving over to the new one.
There's an o-ring that goes with the isolator, and this one I can use from my kit just fine.
It goes on here.
Along with the black plastic isolator. At least I assume it's an isolator. If this is the positive terminal it would need to be protected against shorting against the case of the motor, which is connected to ground.
The new bush holder inserted into the newly painted motor housing. You can see where the o-ring goes to prevent the positive terminal from shorting against the motor housing.
There are two tabs on the brush housing that lock into grooves in the inside of the motor housing to stop the holder from rotating.
There's an o-ring on each of the two long bolts that go all the way through the starter motor body.
Again I can use these from my kit of o-rings.
I had hoped that the slight run in the paint was going to be on the bottom of the motor once it's installed.... but it's going to be on the top.
I did contemplate repainting it, but this is going to be installed under the carb and airbox, so it's not really going to be on display. I'm ok with it not being perfect. If there had been a section I had missed painting, then I would have repainted it, but since this is just cosmetic, I am happy to leave it alone.
And this is when the big o-ring round the nose of the starter motor bites me in the arse. It doesn't fit. The cross section of the o-ring is too big, so it won't fit in the hole. I try a little rubber grease, but that doesn't help. i try a rubber mallet and that doesn't help either. I guess I'll have to get the right o-rings...
I can't find the o-rings from CMSNL, David Silver (or Honda direct). But I did manage to find the size and found these generic ones on eBay that are the right size.
A week later they turn up. I change the o-ring and the motor slips into the right place with a little push. Perfect.
Not much left to do now on the engine rebuild.
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