GEN2 Starter Rebuild!

[g2gboom]

Welcome everyone! Today I am presenting a How-To for everyone interested in rebuilding their starter!

My 2017 has 29,000 hard miles on it. In an effort to extract many more fun miles out of it I felt like looking into my starter to replace the brushes. I had heard rumors that the starter was the weak link on this bike.... and well... there is truth to that statement.

Attached are pictures documenting the process once the starter is off the bike. You may follow along with a parts diagram on either the shop manual or on any parts website.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/936686/Yamaha-Vmax-Vmx17c-2009.html?page=317#manual
In one of the pictures, you will see the brush holder assembly. 2/4 of the brush holders were cracked and one of the 4 were missing entirely. My bike was starting with 3 brushes! No wonder it took time for it to crank!

The carnage was not too bad. I ordered O-rings and ordered a brush holder assembly off of Partzilla. Ill post more pictures of the reassembly when I have time!

Update: The brush holders are a harder plastic material. Im assuming these become brittle after many heat cycles. I also noticed that the glue/cement holding the magnet to the starter chassis was starting to melt. This might be an additional failure point.

While the starter is disassembled make sure to check the windings for debris. Also check to make sure that the Mica is undercut (Clean of debris) to 1mm. These are the grooves at the brush side of the rotor. I like to take a small feeler gauge and dental pick to clean all the brush gunk out of it. You may be tempted to use solvents to clean this, but I would strongly suggest something that doesn't leave behind residue (high in alcohol concentration). Check your needle bearings on one end and clean them up with a q-tip and solvent. If they dont rotate smoothly, just replace them.

For anyone interested, Partzilla has complete starter assemblies in stock for 550+ Shipping.

2S3-81890-00-00 - Starter Assembly ​

https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=e0d6e65ddae2d70f5c8e32252eb05aceb38bfc46​

But if you are willing to put in the work like I did you can buy everything you need to rebuild this for 75$.​

2S3-81801-00-00 - Brush Set​

https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=e0d6e65ddae2d70f5c8e32252eb05aceb38bfc46

 

[Sam's2ndgen]

Thanks for posting. Mine has 49,000 on it and I think it needs rebuilt or replaced.
I was going to take it apart and have a look inside. I managed to get the bolts out and the cable disconnected but it ain't comin' out of there without removing something. It looks like it'll come out if I take the lf exhaust pipe off but I don't want to open any cans of worms unnecessarily. How did you get yours out?

 

[g2gboom]

I took the radiator off to get to it. There is a rubber oring that holds it in.

 

[Sam's2ndgen]

I finally got mine out. I ended up taking the lf exhaust pipe off, I have the full hindle exhaust so this might be easier than the stock pipe, idk. Anyway it turns out my brush set wasn't broken or anything, the brushes were just kinda stuck in place so they weren't putting any pressure on the comutator. All I had to do was clean it up so they were moving freely in the holders and scrape off the little burrs from the edges. Then I cleaned up the comutator with some fine emory cloth, put a little grease in the bearings and put it back together. Now it cranks right up like it should. I would recommend anyone with starter problems should take theirs apart and look inside before ordering any parts.

 

[MaxMidnight]

I would recommend anyone with starter problems should take theirs apart and look inside before ordering any parts.

First rule of diagnosis: Diagnose first, buy second.