Assembly and Maintenance of Diesel Generator Starter Motor

The starter motor, mounted on diesel generators and powered by batteries, initiates engine operation. It eliminates manual cranking, enabling quick, repeatable starts.

Starter Motor Basics

Principle: Converts electrical energy from the battery into mechanical energy to drive the generator's flywheel and start the engine.

Structure: Comprises three main parts: DC motor, transmission mechanism, and solenoid switch.

Assembly Steps for Diesel Generator Starter Motor

Assembly follows the reverse order of disassembly. Key notes during assembly:

Lubrication and Component Handling

Apply a small amount of grease to friction parts like sleeves, armature journals, and keyways. Ensure all gaskets are installed in sequence. Align positioning holes when joining the housing with front/rear end caps, then tighten the two long bolts. When assembling the solenoid switch, install the armature per technical specifications and pull it by hand to confirm secure fitting. After correctly attaching the armature rod to the shift fork, mount the solenoid switch and tighten its two fixing screws. Install insulated brushes into insulated brush holders as required. After reassembly, the drive gear should rotate freely without jamming when moved with a screwdriver.

Adjustments

Armature Axial Clearance: Adjust by changing the thickness of gaskets on the front/rear end caps if clearance is too small or large.

Gear and Lock Nut Clearance: After assembly, push the armature fully; the gap between the drive gear and lock nut should be 1.5–2.5mm. Excessive clearance prevents full engagement with the flywheel ring gear, while insufficient clearance may damage the starter end cap. Adjust using the starter's adjustment screw and tighten the lock nut afterward.

Post-Assembly Testing

Test with a fully charged battery. A qualified starter should deliver strong power during generator startup with no abnormal noise.

Today, diesel generators are widely used as backups, but proper maintenance of components like the starter motor is critical. Inexperienced technicians may overlook assembly details, leading to frequent failures. Always rely on professional manufacturers for repairs to ensure reliability.

Guangxi Dingbo Power Equipment Manufacturing Co.,Ltd was founded in 1974 and is one of the earliest manufacturers of generators and diesel generator sets in China. The company has a registered capital of 218.88 million yuan. The company covers an area of 86,000 square meters and a building area of 55,000 square meters. There are more than 660 employees, including 456 professional technicians and 106 senior technicians. It has 46 sales and service outlets nationwide. The main products are diesel engines, generator sets, and diesel generators, providing users with a one-stop service of design, supply, debugging and maintenance at any time. Dingbo has always insisted on using first-class talents, building first-class enterprises, manufacturing first-class products, creating first-class services, and making every effort to build a first-class domestic enterprise. If any question please feel free to visit our website https://www.dieselgeneratortech.com/ or send email to [email protected].