starter motor full of water im told?

[tjnissan]

hi
just wondering if anyone else had had a leaking/corroded welsh plug on the rear of the engine that has allowed water into the bell housing... to be flicked up into the starter motor and as a result stop the starter from working?

im currently on my second dead starter in one month and the place i got it from told me they pulled the starter apart and it was full of water and the above is how they believe it happened

the only water i have been thru has been probably a foot deep! Im keen to know what others think about this before i pay my second $600 to these guys!

[Bigrig]

Hmmm ... others will have a better idea than me mate, but that just doesn't sound right ... the starters are not water proof as such, but they can still take a fair amount of punishment before giving up the ghost ...

Definitely await advice here, but I'd be seeking another opinion truth be told.

Hope you sort it!!

[Silver]

first have to confess, I don't know. that said, I reckon if there was a leak there, the water would just dribble down the back of the block and out of the bottom of the bell housing. Even if it came out under pressure, it would hit the fly wheel and clutch, or pressure plate - and dribble to the bottom and drain away.

Most corrosion inhibitors have a distinctive smell, and a dye - often green. Is any of that apparent on the starter motor, or if you slide under, around the bell housing?

Outboard motor starter motors that in the early days were badly designed used to trap condensation, but they were mounted vertically.

If it is all true, the leaky welsh plug is also something that needs attention at some stage?

[GQ TANK]

Have you checked your coolant level?

Can you get a mirror on a stick and have a look at the back of the motor (I have also used a camera to take a picture of hard to get loactions). Is there any signs of a coolant leak. If there is you will need to pull the motor to replace the walsh plug.

Have you had any problems with your clutch or release bearing (if you have a manual), as I would expect water to be thown over the clutch etc. You could pull off the viewing plate at the bottom o the bell housing and see if you can see any sign of water.

[nissannewby]

I dont believe there is any welsh plugs in that area and as stated there will be a distinct smell of coolant if this is the case and you would have a noticeable leak to kill a starter that quick. With your started rebuild it yourself they are pretty straight forward and is quite cheap and when re-assembling use a small amount of silicone to seal her up

[GQ TANK]

It dependson the motor,

TJ nissan has not indicated what model / engine.

The RB30s has a welsh plug at the back of the head.

[97_gq_lwb]

Td's and i assume tb's have a little rubber bung in the bottom of the bellhousing if you take it out would would gush out if it is full enough to fill the starter.
I wouldn't think all this water would be good for the clutch and other related components.

[growler2058]

Gut feeling is theyre full of @#$% i have had mine well and truely submerged on numerous occassions and never had a starter issue! Alternator yes starter no

[Richo460]

yeah i agree, sounds like a load of toyotas. You engine would have to leak a crap load of coolant to do anything like that. My starter dies at about 320 000. When i pulled it apart it was full of dust and stuff that appeared to be worn components of the starter, it was filthy. In the end the stator was worn out and i had to get a new unit. ther chepaest i could find was $690, ouch, considering evilbay are selling them for about $300.

Sounds like another case of dodgy ripp off mechanic.

[nissannewby]

yeah i agree, sounds like a load of toyotas. You engine would have to leak a crap load of coolant to do anything like that. My starter dies at about 320 000. When i pulled it apart it was full of dust and stuff that appeared to be worn components of the starter, it was filthy. In the end the stator was worn out and i had to get a new unit. ther chepaest i could find was $690, ouch, considering evilbay are selling them for about $300.

Sounds like another case of dodgy ripp off mechanic.

Yes sounds it as i can get these through work for around the 450 mark (hitachi item) last time i looked into.

[HammerBuilder]

Sorry but I have to aggree with most here, common sense is not very common these days & some bodgy auto elecy's & mechanics will lie through their teeth to get out of fixing their own faulty workmanship.
In other words if you haven't got an overheating engine due to this apparent fault diagnosis(leaking welsh plug) definately get a second opinion as to not having to top up the coolant bottle at least twice a week this bloke would have to be ripping you off & seen how non mechanical you are is not your fault, dodgey workshops should be advertised & put out of business.
Best thing to do to save yourself this extra payment is to go to some-1 like NRMA,RACQ & get a proper check done.

[Richo460]

living in Cairns is awesome except when you need something like that, the freight is crazy, don't even try to get replacement panels in the far north. I guess its still cheaper that remote western australia.