Starter Testing?

Back in the "old days" you could bench test a starter by hooking grabbing a set of jumper cables, hooking the battery negative to the starter housing and the battery positive to the large terminal on the stater and jump the large terminal (now hot) to the small terminal to test the starter. Is this still true on my 95 XJ?

Thanks!

I do it that way all the time, though I put the nuts on. before hooking up the cables, so as not to mess up the threads. Got to be prepared for that thing to jump, it winds up pretty quick and will jump right out of your hands and onto the floor.
I´ve found 95% of the starter problems to be worn brushes and/or oil, mud or whatnot on the brushes. If your oil filter extension is leaking, it often leaks enough to eventually work it´s way into the starter and mess with the brushes.
Your 95 starter is probably pretty much the same as the 87 on. The only real difference between the Misubishi and the Chrysler is some different internal materials and the rear bushing/bearing.
In 17 some years of XJ´s, I´ve replaced one starter, there was something in the Bendix, that would occasionally hang, that I never did figure out. All other starter problems, were the brushes. One friend had a bad overrunning clutch.

Simply unbolting your + battery cable at the soleniod and bolting it directly to the starter motor terminal on the starter soleniod should get the starter to jump when 12V are applied correct??

I think my starter finally kicked the bucket today. Nothing happens at all when I try jumping it like I described above. No noise, clicking or anything. Was cranking very slow before this happened. Locked up or just worn internals? (sorry don't mean to hijack your thread or anything stoneattic)

xjfish said:

Simply unbolting your + battery cable at the soleniod and bolting it directly to the starter motor terminal on the starter soleniod should get the starter to jump when 12V are applied correct??

I think my starter finally kicked the bucket today. Nothing happens at all when I try jumping it like I described above. No noise, clicking or anything. Was cranking very slow before this happened. Locked up or just worn internals? (sorry don't mean to hijack your thread or anything stoneattic)

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If you put power directly to the starter motor side of the solenoid, the motor should turn, if not, your brushes are probably gummed up or worn. New brushes are about a third of the price of a rebuilt starter.
The starter and the solenoid are two seperate pieces. The solenoid is dual function. When it is activated, it pushes the drive gear into the flex plate/flywheel teeth with a fork. And at the same time it closes a large set of contacts in the rear of the solenoid (like a relay) to complete the high amperage connection to the starter motor. The solenoid has a small connection to activate the magnet, to pull the fork and complete the contact in the rear of the solenoid (like a relay).
You have to have power to the contact end of the solenoid (large lugs) and also to the smaller electro magnetic connection, for it to function.
Three things have to happen, the solenoid has to activate, supplying power to the motor and at the same time moving the starter motor drive gears into the flex plate. And the motor has to turn.
If the solenoid doesn´t activate (loud click), it´s power, an open electro magnet or a pyshical stopage.
If the motor doesn´t turn (but the solenoid activates), the current is interupted, brushes, open circuit (wire or solenoid contacts) or power.
If the solenoid activates and the motor turns and it doesn´t turn the motor, the drive gear isn´t moving all the way into the flex plate/flywheel teeth, most times. Or the overunning clutch is broke (it usually only turns one direction).
No click, solenoid, wiring or power.
No motor turn, brushes, solenoid contacts, wiring or power
No engine turn (solenoid and motor run) overunning clutch slipping, the slots in the motor shaft that the drive gear travels on burred (Bendix), drive gear fork pivot pin broken or the starter bolts loose. Very occasionally, a broken or worn tooth in the fley plate/flywheel teeth or damaged drive gear teeth.
IMO you got to know your starter, if you ever plan on doing any off roading at all. A spare isn´t a bad idea, especially if you have an auto trans. If you do any mudding at all, you really need to carry a spare with you or have the tools to clean out the brushes, if it gets packed full of mud. Believe me the mud will find a way in there. I´ve spent more than a few hours in the rain, washing my starter out in a mud puddle in the middle of nowhere. Crawling under the XJ, in the mud is all part of the fun. Rerouting the wiring to the starter (a bit) to leave as much play as possible (watching the rub and fray factor) really helps, with on the trail service. Knowing the starter relay and neutral safety circuit is also a plus.