Starter Contact Maintenance

[Rakxztapalero]

Hello,

I would like to open a question regarding starter maintenance. We all know that contacts in starters, when is needed they are replaced.

When you do a maintenance inspection and find that there is some sparking residues, you know, the normal use of contact, you do a clean up. Is there a standard procedure made by some organization that specifies how they must be clean, I mean, with a rubber, skirmish, brush, etc?

Some people inputs are as follows:

-You must do nothing to them, those are Silver made, do not clean them with sandpaper or rub, nothing, just air and what ever comes out, is all.

-You only clean them with a really soft metal brush.

-You place a glass and sandpaper cleaning them until soil comes out, as well the surface is even.

There are always improving in starters, contactors, relays, etc. I know manufacturer should provide a maintenance sheet or handbook. This is not the case, I am asking for your inputs and if there is any documentation that can be print and share, I will appreciate your links.

Thank you very much.

 

[jraef]

I don't know of any documents any longer, but the conventional wisdom now is do NOT clean them, other than maybe air blow out and some spray-on contact cleaner for carbon residue. Pitting is normal, and both sides pit together so the peaks on one side tend to match the valleys on the other. Filing, brushing or sanding them creates uneven surfaces and removes material at too fast of a rate. Some larger contactors use a wiping action arrangement, so they theoretically maximize the contact area on each operation as well as compensate for any uneven surfaces, but even they have gone away from recommending any filing or sanding. Also, most smaller IEC contactors are not even designed to allow access to the contacts, they are considered throw-away.

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