Late M38 starter

[Heapofajeep]

Working on getting my 1952 M38 running. Both 12v bats hooked up. Starter is not moving or even clicking even when bridging with screw driver. I have been looking online for a rebuild kit and have not come across anything. Also how hard would it be to rebuild? Thanks in advanced

[Kendall]

I would suggest bench testing the unit first. Remove the starter from the jeep and then use jumper cables from the batteries (negative clamped to ear, positive to switch on top of starter). Engage the switch and the starter should spin. If not it could be the switch. They do go bad. Open the switch up and take a look and clean it up and then try again.

[Heapofajeep]

Ok, I took the starter apart, cleaned it as best I could, took apart solenoid and cleaned as well. Still getting nothing from the starter on a bench test. Made sure I had good clean connections not getting anything, not even a click from the solenoid. I was looking on the Keiser Willy’s website and I’m a little confused as the starter that is listing on there there’s a dental to mine says it only fits serial numbers 74419 and later of the M38. mine is a 68578, so I’m not sure why I would have the starter on mine. Any thoughts? Also I am going to make a few calls here locally to see what it cost to rebuild and will prob just get a new from from Kaiser Willy’s if can’t be rebuilt.

[Kendall]

M38a used two very different starters. The early ones were "open-nosed" and used a different bell housing than the later "closed-nosed" one. The one pictured on Kaiser Willys is the later one. If you are still not getting anything I would still bet it is in the switch that sits on top of the starter. Those are cheaper to replace than a whole starter.

[Radtech]

There is no solenoid on an M38 starter it takes power directly from the battery from a switch mounted on the starter.If you put +24v on the terminal on the starter and it does not turn you have bad windings in the starter.If it spins then your starter switch is somehow grounded and you need to take it apart and find where it is shorted.

[Adam]

Why bad coils if it does not ture, why not a bad wire to the coils or brushes, or oil or dirt on the commutator.

Anyway i am hunting for pictures of the starters in a m38 as i bought a bunch of starters and need to identify them,,,



Adam

[Ron D]

Pictures of M38 starters are in the ORD9 SNL G-740 and the M38 Reference Guide.