Rusty deuce starter, help!

[TacticalTruck]

I'm at my wits end on this one. My friends starter in his M35A2 keeps rusting up so that the starter gear won't slide on the shaft and move to the engaged position. I'm on my third starter in there and they all have done it. If he dosen't start the truck one a week the gear rusts to the shaft and he has to pull the starter, clean and lube it to get it working. After the second starter I pulled the transmission and needle scaled a cup full of rust from inside the bell housing. I bead blasted, cleaned, lubed or painted everything in there but saw no signs of wetness, just rust. That worked for a short while but now it's back to the same thing. This truck is even stored on black top. I don't know what to do next. Suggestions please!
Jeff

 

[builder77]

Maybe lubing it with a heavy chain lube like the type used for motorcycle chains? It is super sticky. If the oil stays put it should not rust I would think.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I'm going to have to think about this one. The moisture has to be coming from somewhere. is there any rust around this area besides the starter? I'd also suspect that if he has even a small coolant leak, the PH in his coolant may be real low. We had a problem once with a fellers pool pump rusting out in short order. After 2 free motors I went by to look at the install. He was storing his muriatic acid right next to the pump. Is there a sprinkler head hear by? Might be squirting right inside the fender. Whatever it is, it's not the fault of the starter. Maybe keep the truck at your place for a couple of weeks and see if it does it again. if it does, that eliminates the surrounding environment. Another thing, does it stink? Perhaps some stray animal is peeing on the area. Just randon thoughts.

 

[TacticalTruck]

There was rust every where inside the bell housing but no where else. what drove me to pull the tranny was the throw-out shaft rusted up in the bell housing bearings. i must admit, i got lazy and did not drop the fly wheel because it looked so dry behind it. i've seen no collant leaks but he did say he saw a drop on the bottom of the bell housing later but never a puddle or low coolant level. the truck did sit at my place for a month after i pulled the trans and it did not have the problem. i also sold him a multifuel 5 ton whichs sits next to the deuce and it does not have any trouble. my airplane mech friend said he has some special grease he uses for small aircraft that have the starter in front of the engine and are prone to the same problem. i'm guessing now i may have a pin hole leak in a freeze plug behind the flywheel.

 

[DDoyle]

Is the flywheel drain plug installed (and making water condense)?

 

[TacticalTruck]

no, i also left the sheet metal cover off the bottom.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Really weird Jeff.

 

[gbooth]

I there a small amount of voltage getting to the starter causing it to heat up ?. Then the heat causing the rust. A bad connection? And isn't there a gasket that goes between the starter and bell housing? May be none of these but worth checking.

 

[acetomatoco]

Time for a shot of PortaSeal...? I would Lubriplate the shaft on the armature. If the starter relay on the block is not passing full amperage, it may not give the starter the jolt it needs to slam the drive out...Have you tried replacing the relay when you change starters?...

 

[TacticalTruck]

I was going to throw a relay at it but i figured if the gear sticks from rust so bad that he broke the end of a big screw driver trying to pry it out, there's probably something else going on. I think I'm going to have to pull the trans again and see if coolant is weeping from the freeze plug behind the flywheel. In the mean time we will try the aircraft grade lube on the shaft. More input is appreciated.
Jeff

 

[citizensoldier]

Whats the story on those rims? And what tire size are they? OD minds need to know..

 

[TacticalTruck]

Whats the story on those rims? And what tire size are they? OD minds need to know..

huh?

 

[devilman96]

AH HA!!!! ... I had this same issue!!! It took me forever to figure out...

One of the bolt holes for the nose cone adapter was drilled to deep in production and blew out the side of the casing... It so happened that it was located in the top position when the starter was bolted on the motor. Every time I drove in the rain or through to many puddles the water would collect on the top of the starter and make its way into the nose cone rusting the snot out of the clutch, bell housing and starter.

A dab of silicone fixed the issue... I just had to take it off and apart 3 times before I figured it out...

Get a air hose and sprayer... Fill the sprayer with really soapy water... use a blow nozzle via the drain plug to pressurize the bell housing while solder B sprays the starter and bell housing area... It will bubble when you find it but its prolly right next to the solenoid.