Starter

Denny wrote:
: hooking up the electrical cable was not... The electrical post on the
: SkyTec is about 4" forward of the stock location... The aluminum

We put a Skytec in our Cherokee a year or so back. At that time, I remember
they had a "kit" for some models. Something about a little jumper cable to fix the 4"
spacing problem on some installations. Sounds like you got bit.

Just for the record, the Skytecs are nice but have one drawback. Since
they're permanent magnet and don't include any flyback switches/diodes, the energy
stored in the rotor can only dissipate through the solenoid. That means that after
the engine starts, the solenoid keeps the bendix engaged for a few seconds while the
magnetic energy dissipates. To keep the engine from perpetuating the process by
running the starter as a generator, there's a sprag clutch on the bendix shaft so as
long as the engine is running faster than the starter motor does, it will die out.

I say this because it adds another wear and failure point. I definately
notice the starter staying engaged a bit after starting. I'm not thrilled at the
extra ring gear wear it induces. The really sad thing is that it can be easily fixed
with some minimal wiring changes, but it was certified as-is. Check their web page
for "alternate wirings" for experimental installations.

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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