Jeep eats starters.

[Darky]

Any ideas why? I'm on #6 now. Well, I will be after I replace the one on there today. Before I could see it somewhat, I liked to go play in the mud and big puddles. But this last one only lasted a couple months and hasn't even been near water. I haven't even washed the Jeep since installing it. I do have small oil leak somewhere above the starter, could be killing them? If so, why did this one die so quickly? I'll get pictures up tonight of what I'm talking about. Maybe someone will have an idea of where the oil is leaking from as well. I'm thinking maybe from around the oil filter adapter?

EDIT: Also, it will still kick over once I smack it with a big monkey wrench. When it goes bad, I can turn the key and get a big click but no start.
96 4.0 AW4

 

[JNickel101]

Could be your oil filter adapter or maybe from the back of the valve cover, leaking down...but my guess would be those little o-rings inside the OFA have worn out....

As for the starter wearing out, no idea...does it get saturated with oil from the leak?

 

[Darky]

It gets a decent coating. I'm thinking the leak may have sped up a little, now that I've been thinking about it. I just changed the oil on the same day as the starter, and it looks as bad as it did when I changed it all out.

 

[8Mud]

On my 96 the oil filter adaptor "O" rings were seeping and it would find it's way into my starter brushes. Cleaned the brushes off and a couple of months later had to do it again.
I finally sealed up the starter case with a little sillycon. I also fixed my adapter "O" rings. One or the other cured my problem.

 

[Darky]

I'll check that out tonight, I've been meaning to look into the oil leak for quite some time...

 

[gm tech]

are you gettin dollar store starters sometimes a lil more buck gets a lil more life for your starter.

 

[Darky]

I bought a Kragen starter with a lifetime warranty a while back. That's the only reason I haven't spring for a good one. If it's the oil that's killing em, I'll fix that and probably upgrade to a better one when I have the cash. This was supposedly a high torque unit (I think), but still Kragen.

 

[lawsoncl]

Fix the oil leak. Kragen lifetime warranty starters are really crap quality and you end up needing the warranty. Try wrapping the next one in saran wrap or tape to keep the oil out. :}

 

[Darky]

Took it to Kragen, it passed all of their tests. He ran the test probably 20+ times. It got so hot we had to let it cool until it was touchable. So, that leaves me thinking, maybe the wires are bad? Could old battery cables cause it?

 

[JNickel101]

I'd say yes. Could just be that when you swap out the starter, it jiggles the cables enough to get some good contact in there....but after a while, age and/or corrosion just build up too much and it won't turn over.

 

[badgeye]

That oil can't be helping, but I have seen oil soaked starters live a long time. I have replaced a lot of reman starters after a short time, so many in fact that I try to get my customers to buy new starters and alternators, so I don't have to end up warrantying them. That lifetime guarantee just makes sure that they can get you back in there to buy hand cleaner, rags, magazine, flashlight, air freshener, a bottle of Old Harpers...................................Anyway, those oil filter adapter o-rings are famous for getting old and brittle, I have also changed my weight in oil pressure sending units that leak. Good luck with it !!