Starter "bracket"

[9161a]

Hello All,

I've been a member of this association since buying my 170a about 3 years ago but, admittedly, haven't been very active on the site. Something came up on my annual inspection this week that I have a question about. My IA saw a crack on the top side of the "bracket" attached to the starter and said I need to replace it. I call it a bracket since I'm not sure of it's correct name. It attaches to the starter case with two screws and includes the stationary contact, which is met by the moveable contact when pulling the starter handle, on one side and the battery connection on the other side. I checked with a supplier who said the "crack" is a seam which is designed into the part and is present on both the upper and lower side. He may be correct since I checked and the seam is present on both sides. If he is not correct and this is indeed a broken part does anyone know where I can get a replacement.

Thanks everyone.

Mark
1950 170a

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Well now that we've upgraded your account to member status, you can post a picture of this crack. A crack is rarely straight as a manufactured seam would be and I'll be your IA knows the difference. But he could be mistaken.

Are you talking about this starter button housing? I got this picture from ebay so I can't inspect it.

[9161a]

Thanks Aryana and Bruce,

That picture looks like the part except the mount to the case of the starter looks different. Mine has a screw on the top side and one on the bottom. Yours looks like either 4 elongated holes or two on one side. I'll see if I can get a picture of mine today and post it.

Aryana, we've met. I'm based at Livermore down the row from John Q. I'd like to see your starter if we can get together.

Mark

[9161a]

OK, here is a photo of the bracket. There is an identical "crack" on the bottom side.

Thanks.

Mark

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

And here is a picture of another switch hosing I have in storage which has the exact same manufacturing "crack"

Guess what? They are all cracked.

[9161a]

Hey, this is great news. Thanks so much guys. I guess even IAs sometimes learn something new.

Mark

[bagarre]

They all need replaced!!

[n2582d]

Ok, DONE!

Arash,

"Done" is not in the lexicon when the subject is classic aircraft! Check out CAR 3.6221:

The following information shall be marked on or adjacent to the filler cover in each case: ... (b) the word "oil" and the oil tank capacity, ... .

Great looking engine compartment--hard to believe you are spitting distance from the ocean!

[blueldr]

Seeing the picture of the pull start switch reminds me of my days at Sacramento JC night school to get my "A" license. I already had an"E" license from working at Lockheed back before the big war.and was attending night school three nights a week.
When I came in one evening, the instructor asked me to see if I could find what was wrong with a Continental C-85 in the test cell. The day students had overhauled it but couldn't get it to run. It wouldn't crank over.
I looked it over, tried to start it, and confirmed that it woild not crank. I figured that maybe the switch was bad and pulled out the two mounting screws that screwed it down on the top of the starter. Thats odd. One screw is about 1/8th of an inch longer than the other. I tried installing the screws in the body of the starter without the switch. Ah Ha! the long screw was bottoming on the inside on the armature and locking it up. I reinstalled the switch with the long screw backed out a couple of turns.
The engine cranked and started right up. he instructor came running in and wanted what had been wrong. I told him I couldn't find a thing and everything seemed to be OK.
Two nights later as I was coming in he cornered me again and said the day boys still couldn't get it to crank. I said he had to be kidding. I'll go look at it again. He was going to go with me, but the phone rang and he answered it. I went out to the test cell and surreptiiiously baqcked the screw out and hit the starter just as he came in the door. The engine fired right off. He was baffled.
Two nights later he was laying for me. The day bunch still hadn't found the trouble and he was by god going out there with me and seeing what in hell was going on. There was no way I could pull it off again, so I showed him what it was. He was pretty chagrinned and allowed as those day boys were a bunch of dummies, but we left it locked up.
I guess he gave them hell the next day for putting them behind about a week or so,

[GAHorn]

Hey, this is great news. Thanks so much guys. I guess even IAs sometimes learn something new.

Mark

This very same matter came up about 10 years ago when a Member contacted me with his A&P/AI claiming his starter switch mount was cracked and HAD to be replaced. (Check old issues of The Flypaper.) I'm amazed at the "competency" of the new breed of "mechanics" being graduated from A&P schools these days. It just goes to show that a "certificate" is only as valuable as the experience of the holder.

[MoonlightVFR]

Well what was the answer? Why was pix of Yellow Oil filler cap included?

Bracket cracked or "Formed" in mfg process?


I noted the comment about "certificate" attached to "experience". The medical profession uses the term "medical practice" after one receives their certificate.
Just don't practice on me

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Well what was the answer? Why was pix of Yellow Oil filler cap included?

Thread creep- The oil cap was in a image of a new starter which does not have the cracked housing in question. In it was noted the oil cap didn't seem to be marked as required by CAR3. A close up of the oil cap then reviled that yes in deed it was stamped into the cap.

Bracket cracked or "Formed" in mfg process?

Since we can show three brackets with the same crack, the unanimous conclusion is it is an occurrence of the manufacturing process. I think a flat stock is stamped and folded together to form the part leaving the crack where the edges meet.

[GAHorn]

It's not a "crack" at all. It's an "edge" of formed/stamped/folded steel....very normal.