Starting problem & solution

[bradblazer]

Lately my Kama 554 has been cranking slowly and I figured it was the 2006 OEM battery finally on the decline. Yesterday it wouldn't start and was barely cranking with the compression released. I was in a hurry and tried to start it with the charger in boost and by jumping with another battery but still no go. I checked voltage while cranking and there was little drop. Thinking maybe a bad connection somewhere I even tried to jump it directly to the starter post and it quit cranking altogether.

I pulled the starter and took off the band that covers the brushes. There was a lot of dirt in there and the commutator looked pretty rough so I cleaned it all up and dressed the commutator. Tried it again and still almost no response from the motor. I took one of the brushes out and the brush looked fine but the spiral spring was sprung. I messed with it a little and noticed a weak spot where it must have gotten hot. I had some stainless sheet metal that was fairly stiff and springy and wound a new spring. Two of the other springs were still fine and one other was sprung but I tightened it up by bending the end down.

That got the starter motor running and when I put it back together it fired right up.

Do you guys have a source for the starter motor brush springs?

[Rich Waugh]

A couple of years ago I needed a bunch of springs that weren't available locally so I bought a little hand held gizmo to wind my own springs. I buy either stainless spring wire or regular music wire and it works just dandy. It's just a handle that has an adjustable foot to control spacing, but at allows me to wind springs perfectly every time.

I'm pretty sure I got my tool at McMaster-Carr but couldn't get one to come up in their new search engine. I did find one on Amazon, but it seems much more expensive than I remember. www.amazon.com/Flexbar-Universal-Spring-Winder/dp/B001C1DBXO/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1375820459&sr=1-1&keywords=spring+winder

[bradblazer]

Thanks Rich. Yeah, that tool is cool but a little pricey. McMaster does have some winding tools. Pricey again. www.mcmaster.com/#spring-winders/=nyalpg

The springs I need look like this:
www.fiatplus.com/images/P/637410U.jpg
At least McMaster sells the flat spring steel in various thicknesses and widths. The springs are simple enough I can wind them around a needlenose pliers.

[Rich Waugh]

Yeah, those are easily made with a pair of pliers and then some careful heat treating to get the right hardness and temper. When making springs from small flat stock like that, I find that the heat treating goes best if i put the finished spring on a chunk of heavy steel and bring the whole works up to heat and then quench the spring in hot oil. After quenching, I drop it back onto the chunk of hot steel and let it pull heat from that to temper to a nice dark blue oxide color.

[bradblazer]

Rich, thanks for the heat treating tips. It's too cool that you have first hand experience doing exactly what I am talking about. I'll probably make one try at the place that rebuilds starters to see if they have those springs. They shouldn't cost more than a few pennies to mass produce. If I can get them for a few bucks each I'll probably do it.

That narrow stock at McMaster comes in a minimum 25' length for $30. If I go that route I might have to shop around or see if I have a junk recoil starter I can raid a spring from. Not that I won't be happy to have my starter good as new for $30.