Need help, excavator won't start!

[voltage1256]

Hi everyone,

My friends uncle had passed away and we are trying to clean up his yard and get his equipment back in running condition. He has a Mitsubishi MS180LC Excavator. We put fresh batteries, fluids. But the starter will spin but not "deploy outward" Therefore it won't crank the motor.

Does anyone know where to find parts in the United States for a machine of this age? Or even a Mitsubishi Heavy Machinery Dealer? Preferable in the Northeast? We really need to get this thing running or the entire hope of clearing out the yard and moving the really dead metal for scrap is never going to happen.

Happy Easter Guys!

 

[maddog]

Take the starter apart and make sure it is free to engage. It might just need a good cleaning

 

[voltage1256]

Take the starter apart and make sure it is free to engage. It might just need a good cleaning

Gave it a good cleaning. It deploys by hand (take a flathead screw driver to it, it will pop out) but not when spun under power?

 

[overworked]

Are you applying power to starter windings or to solenoid? Could you post a pic of starter?

 

[Shimmy1]

Starter drive is bad. Is there a name tag on the starter?? I got a starter for my L2E Mitsubishi from Napa.

 

[Shimmy1]

Are you applying power to starter windings or to solenoid? Could you post a pic of starter?

If is has a solenoid on the starter, it has to be good to snap out and make the connection to energize the motor. What's possibly happening is the starter drive is stripped out, and won't turn engine. Have you tried turning engine over by hand to get a different spot on flywheel? Also, sometimes if the drive gets bad you can just hold the key in start for 5 secs or so and it might make it grab one last time to start it.

 

[lantraxco]

Those old Mitsis came under the CAT umbrella back in the late eighties I think, though parts are getting harder and harder to come buy. Starter should be pretty easy to replace if not repair though.

 

[voltage1256]

Here are the only two pics I have of it unfortunately.

 

[Delmer]

If you're done messing with the old one, before you try to track down a new/rebuilt one take the old one to a starter shop (auto electric repair). Most likely the old one can get fixed better and cheaper than a new aftermarket. Starters aren't rocket science, a good starter guy will know what he's looking at right away.

Always a little confusing telling somebody what we'd do, not knowing if he wants to tear it apart and repour some babbitt, or if he's looking for only a genuine OEM.

 

[Cat_man320]

If you benched tested the starter and it's snapping in and spinning , it's a good chance that it is the bendix drive . Any decent starter /alt repair shop should be able to fix it for you or even give you a replacement that will fit .

 

[cdm123]

When you apply power to the large stud to spin the starter are you also applying to the small stud that energises the magnet that pulls the bendix forward to engage the drive? If there is no power to the small stud the starter will spin but not turn the fly wheel.