I have a 1991 LT 80. I burned up the starter and needed a new one. The one at the bike shop was $297. I checked on ebay and found one for $116 so I bought it. However, it is not the same one. Everyone I know swears that there is only one starter for this bike, but the one I have is totally different from the one on the bike.

Is there more than one out there? Where can I find an inexpensive one fairly quickly (we are going to Glamis on the 12th)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

JC

 

When you say "burned out " starter, what happened? Did you take it apart after? I just rebuilt mine for a '93 LT80. I bought the whole new plate from Suzuki for $45-50 (USF). It comes with brushes,springs and the cast plate with a bearing in the center of the plate. Fairly easy fix, except trying to hold brushes back while you push armature through center. You'll definitely need an extra set of hands to do that part.I'm sure there's a trick there I don't know about.Careful when you slide outer cover (with magnets inside) over the armature, that you don't accidentally pull armature back away from brushes.Clean the armature/light sand, then clean the grooves out with a pick. You canalso check the condition of the gears. If they're not stripped, I'd rebuild it.

Also, rebuild kits available from Jack's Small Engines, or Rick's Starter motors (I found both online).

Is your starter a Mitsuba? It should be stamped on the outside. Also, if you take it apart (you've got nothing to lose), it should have a number (pretty sure it's 10230) , which is the Mitsuba model #. I think I had to take apart 2 internal components and it was on the back side of one of the plates. If you have the Mitsuba 10230, you have the proper Suzuki starter and I think they sent you the wrong one.

If your're in a real pinch, order the pull start kit (apparently simple to install) for about $90, and play with the starter later. Then you'll have both for the future, and son can still ride in 10 days.

 

oops...see next post...

 

There is a trick to this. I don't know how others do this, but this worked for me and my big fat hands...

The "body" of the starter (the part that the stator shaft slips through and the part where the brushes are screwed to) has a bushing where the stator shaft goes through. Find something that is slightly smaller than this diameter (I used an allen wrench, but I'm sure there are better tools to use). Once you fit the brushes and springs into their respsective slots, push the allen key (or a better suited tool) through the bushing from the OPPOSITE side of the brushes (the side where the gearing goes) and up between the brushes.

This will be just big enough to prevent the brushes from coming all the way out of their slots. Now take the stator (winding, armature, whatever you'd like to call it) WITHOUT the cover (where the magnets are) and using the small gear end push the "allen key" back out through the brushes.

You will only be able to insert the stator so far because it's much wider where the brushes spin against it. Now you only need to spread the brushes apart in order to complete the insertion of the stator. I didn't have really tiny needle nose pliers so I used a really small screwdriver to push each brush back individually. Although this is tricky since you then have to slightly tilt the stator to hold in the first brush, it does work. I think small needlenose used to push back both brushes simultaneously would have been easier.

Hope this helps!!