Have read/searched all DIY and FAQ sections about re-grease starter. Looks like my mechanic will not do it for me. He suggested to get a re-built one with warranties. I think it's about time to DIY. However, I still have some questions.

1) What kind of lube should I put into the gear box of starter? I am in California. Any suggestions? I don't want the grease too sticky to jam the gears, nor too thin to leak.

2) How to and what to use to clean/remove the old, dried grease?

3) How much grease should I fill? Any detail instruction on this part? Photos will help a lot.

4) Any tricks I don't know?

 

Check out motorvate.ca for instructions. I used some throttle body cleaner I had around to remove old grease. The install is very easy, you should have no problem doing it yourself.

 

I have done some gooooling. Still can not decide what to use.

I got something more questions.

1) Is ordinary "multi-purpose grease" OK? Or should I get something like "bearing grease"?

2) Should I use something "high Viscosity"? Or something like 75W-90 will do the trick?

3) Can I use Moly-grease? Or Moly-Lith or something else?

 

I used Super Tech (Walmart) hi-temp disk brake grease. Use brake cleaner to clean the gears, and electrical cleaner to clean the electrical side. Besides the dried up grease, the starter gears and brushes were in excellent condition. If you get a rebuilt, you don't know what you get. Lifetime warranty still costs time and labor to put in the replacement.

 

I was told to use white lithium grease.

 

Try the fix and if it doesn't stick (problem comes back), just get a rebuilt one from the dealer. I did the grease fix 2 or 3 times, but each time the problem came back, so I finally opted for a dealer rebuild. You could save some bucks by going to Pep Boys, etc., but you may end up going in there again. The factory rebuild has been perfect.