Starter bushings

[Rblackadar]

Hey gang been awhile since I have been on here (Getting married and all).So I got back to working on the 7 the past few weeks and since there is a blizzard raging here I started to do some inside jobs. One of them being my starter which I have cleaned up nicely, greased levers, and replaced the solenoid. So I was reading the Haynes manual about the bushings on both ends and it said to soak them in oil for 24 hours....Whoops! Will they be ok if I tapped them in dry? I oiled them after I put them in when I inserted the armature. Is that a big deal? Also, my spire nut is broken and I have no clue where to get one and how much play is needed in the endshaft when I do find one. Any info is wonderfully appreciated. Thanks all!

[saabfast]

Normally best to soak any bearings/bushes in oil prior to fitting. If it has not yet been put in the car try and get it to all ends to soak in by capilliary action.
What do you mean by spire nut? They are normally like a folded plate with a hole for crew/bolt entry and a threaded hole the other side, and clip over the edge of a sheet with matching drilled hole for fixing (lousy description). Also known as a speed nut or U nut, or with a nut folded in as a cage nut. Not aware of these in the starter, where does it fit?

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[saabfast]

Just a thought (don't have my car or manual here), does it have a 'push on star fastner'? As this http://www.bakfin.com/terminology.html

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[Rblackadar]

That's exactly what it is.....So should I just maybe keep soaking the bushings with oil while they are already pressed in?

[FI Spyder]

I would say that's OK. At IBM we had what were called sintered brass bushings that were porous bushings that absorbed oil for continuously lubrication. They look like normal brass bushings. For maintenance we just applied soome oil on them (done once or twice a year). Much the same if not the same as the starter bushings. So long as they have a film of oil they can absorb they should be good. If they are going to be accessible for a while just give them a shot of oil every day or so until installation.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spitfire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Rblackadar]

Sweet! I'll lube them up for a few more days. Thanks everyone!