Customer of ours has been struggling with a 1980s 928. He had replaced his starter motor (a warranty from a MAJOR chain store) And the car refused to fire although it cranked , he had fuel had spark .....MAJOR got him a another rebuilt replacement (his core was already turned in). Same deal crank and crank but never fire. Both relacement starters somehow prevented the car from starting. He and Tom here kept going over the basics but the thing just refused to run. Tom asked me to talk to the customer and for what ever reason I asked him to check to be sure that the engine was cranking in the correct direction......two minutes later he called back the motor was turning backwards !! the rebuilt starters both of them were reversed internally. Just when you think you have heard of most everything something new pops up

 

Very good, Mr. Holmes!

 

Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while ..... ......... My concern is how the cup shaped bi-metallic washers in the tensioner liked being under all that stress ? He has been cranking it off and on for a couple weeks or more during this saga.

 

??

 

Yep, you can also get a VW starter that fits a 944 but spins it the wrong way.

-Joel

 

I think all troubleshooting ideas should finish just as in the game of clue. It just seems fun that way. "Prof. Plum...in the clutch...with the pilot bearing". Yes? No?
I once worked in a marina while paying my way through school and a customer brought in a battery that was giving him nothing but trouble. Turns out the battery was bead from over the winter and the guy had reversed the polarity with the charger when he charged it back up. Easy fix turned out to be hooking up a headlight to the battery to drain it overnight. Next day it was charged back up properly.

Bryant

 

PorKen,
The OTHER Holmes!!

 

ROTFL! Both at the starter whackadoodle, and the Holms reference.... Brilliant minds, run in the same gutter.

 

I was once told by a 'Porsche' (as in 911) mechanic who was selling me a 928 engine with starter that the 911 starter was the same as the 928 EXCEPT that it turned in the opposite direction, could be the reason for the wrong starters if its true

 

HOLY SHE-ITE JIM!!!!!!!!!

 

That starter is the same one that I bought and returned to Kragen Auto Parts.

It's an Autolite remanufactured Bosch unit. Looks identical to the correct starter, however closer inspection shows that the drive gear ratchets in the opposite direction. The parts counter guy, just couldn't understand my explaination.

I discovered this before installing it, but not before removing the old starter. It was my side-by-side inspection that gave me the clue. But, ended up ordering a nice Bosch remanufactured OEM starter for only slightly more money than the Autolite from Kragen.

But that starter made me look for a motor that turned in the opposite direction. Turns out that some marine engines can turn opposite direction. When twin motors are used, they make reverse direction camshafts that allow rotating both side-by-side engines in the opposite direction.

 

Batteries do not work that way. There would not have been a reversed charge on it. Dead, sure, but not reversed.

 

The battery was tested with a fan motor. One battery spun the fan clockwise another battery spun the fan counterclockwise. The battery was then drained of its charge. After recharging the fan rotation was the same between the two batteries. I remember this one because nobody had ever seen it before.

Bryant

 

It happens. It's rare, and the battery won't last long with polarity reversed(may not last long once corrected either) but it happens.

 

I've seen both the reversed charged battery,plus 924 and 944 starters that turned the wrong direction.The 924 had been to 5 other shops to find out way it would not start.I even had a friend that got a great deal on a used HI-PO chevy small block when I was young and playing hot rod.....A really great deal and it was complete.....The only problem?It was a reverse rotation marine engine.Boy was he confused the first time he reved it up and dumped the clutch!!!!!!!!!!