Yammy four stroke starter motors

[ShaneC]

Hi y'all,

Just after a bit of feedback as to whether anyone has destroyed a starter on a Yammy F150 4 stroke. I was lucky enough to have one handgrenade a long way out over the last couple of days. I originally thought I had a short somewhere or a loose ground wire or something because when you hit the key the bendix would engage but could not spin the flywheel, and I knew the batteries were fine. So after a marathon 11 hr cruise back to Agnes on one motor, a process of elimination and a bit of pulling down, we discovered the inside of the starter resembled looked like it had been in a blender, the bushes are completely stuffed. A quick trip to Bundy full of hope of saving the trip we went to the Yammy dealer (who was very helpful mind you), who was happy to take a starter off a new motor to be fitted next week and back order a new one prior to it being fitted.

Thats where shit went south. A quick call to Yamaha Australia revealed that there are NO such starters in Oz, they dont stock them and on average only order in five a year Australia wide, apparently they are that good. Couldnt get one for a week and the motor needed to be fitted before then.....

So.... I haven't had the opportunity to research much as yet, but I really need a starter yesterday to get the boat going again. Does anyone know of after market starters for late model yammy four strokes in Australia??? The RRP for a new genuine one is also beyond ridiculous so maybe it can be rebuilt??

I surely would have thought that given the popularity of the 150 there would have to be more than five a year that let go, so that says to me they are either awesomely reliable or people are buying them from somewhere else other than Yamaha. Can anyone shed some light on this, because I have two of the suckers that get treated the same so based on common sense I could be up for two, but based on averages I would have to be unlucky!! Obviously I will pull the other one out and check it prior to making any purchases.

Also would like to give a quick thanks to the Yammy blokes in Bundy, in the end they couldn't help me but did exhaust every option in trying to.

Long winded I know, but I had a bit to say.

Cheers....

[Smithy]

If you were on the Sunny Coast I could send you to Mark Armstrong at Aerodrome Rd Auto Electrical. He is an Ausfish guy as well. He has sourced aftermarket starters and alternators for my Yanmar successfully, I think my starter was a standard Nissan one and my alternator was something basic too. I am sure he would be up to challenge, even if he had to rebuild yours. The only other experience of boat starters like this I have had is some mates had twin 75 Hondas and had all sorts of starter motor dramas and they ended up working out they were something basic like a Mitsubishi out of a Sigma and $30 or so, not the $$$s the Honda guy could charge for genuine. Not going to help you in the short term with your F150 though.

[ShaneC]

Thanks Smithy I am happy to keep all options open and I'll look Mark up. The sunny coast aint that far from Brissie these days. I know the oil filters out of mine are the same as a hilux and cost $9 as opposed to Yamahas $45, so could get lucky. Never thought of that....

[Jarrah Jack]

Hi Shane You could just order one from boats.net. Much cheaper than oz prices and will be here in about ten days.

[Goodoo haven]

If all else fails, it more than likely can be reconditioned by a good auto electrical shop.

[Giffo65]

Shane
I had my starter for my 60 Four stroke Yammy rebuilt at Charm City Auto in Takalvan street Bundy (opposite Avis)Did a good job at reasonable rate,have had them work on the Pajero to fit electric brakes,they were exactly half the price of the other quote I got in Bundy.

[Fishbait]

hi mate - bad luck on your trip with that happening. Have done a google search on outboard wreckers for you, there is one at Yatala you could try - Yatala Outboard Wrecking, Phone 07-3807-2488, and they have pretty good website. Hope it all turns out well for you soon. Darren

[ShaneC]

Yeah well thanks guys but I have had a win. Once the rage settled and the dust cleared I sat down at work with a dozen coffees, some literature off the interweb and the guidance of someone with more knowledge than me on the matter. We cleaned everything up ( the mess of black shit that I thought was bushes was actually old grease and gunk), put it all back together once we realised it wasn't as bad as first thought. We noticed the brushes were very worn so turned them sideways for a better contact, hooked her up and viola!!! Works fine. I need to source brushes, I will do both motors and will hopefully be on the water in a couple of days. Just goes to show that a good night's sleep and a bit of time and patience can save some dough and grief. I am ecstatic with the outcome. Thanks again all.........

[murf]

top stuff and thanks for the outcome

a good Auto Electrical shop will match and replace your brushes and also check out the finer details like com segs etc

cheers Murf

[Noelm]

seems to be a pretty common problem with the Yamaha range, I have heard of a few starters buggering up, now all you Yamaha owners out there, I am not saying you have a shit motor or a potential problem (but maybe I am) it just seems to be coming up a bit these days.

[CATchin'Em]

Ahh I just use my boat lots put 1100 hours 7years on my engines before starter failure. maybe yamaha owners just use them as boats not garden ornaments!!!!

[murf]

seems to be a pretty common problem with the Yamaha range, I have heard of a few starters buggering up, now all you Yamaha owners out there, I am not saying you have a shit motor or a potential problem (but maybe I am) it just seems to be coming up a bit these days.

just a trend these days I guess, a quest for the lightest cheapest they can get away with

just did a starter motor on a mates GQ Patrol 4.2 diesel and it is smaller than my old Datsun 1600 starter motors from the late 70's but still got over 450K km's out of it before the brushes wore out, was surprised how many bits are not serviceable these days though without a bit of ingenuity

not just Yamaha I suspect

cheers Murf

[ShaneC]

Catchen em, you dead right. Lack of use probably could have done it. But I am more inclined to think that the fact they have done 1200 hrs in the last two years may have something to do with it. Chuck in a lot starting on short drifts and its sorted. For those that care, put new brushes and serviced both starters for under $100.

[ShaneC]

Just reread your post actually Catchen em and your point is well taken. What went wrong with your starters?? Very similar hours to mine albeit it over a different time frame, but if it was your brushes that shat and caused starter dramas, might well be that Yammy owners may need to service their starters every few years. I am led to believe that starter failure is quite rare (could be shit though), but brushes will wear regardless of the quality of the starter, and they are not an item that is checked by routine servicing.... food for thought

[Fed]

Always worth a light tap around the outside near the brushes to get that one last start out of them.