Cascade Crew

[Sellmanb]

So I've had my final straw with them.

My starter's (11 months old from Napa, Remanufactured) casing busted, and so it wouldnt work quite right (plus I got headers and wanted a new starter anyways )... so I went to the only place open around 7:30 at night, and got an LT1 starter from Schucks over on 99. Installed it, it worked okay, found that my battery died as well, got a new Optima Red Top, it spun the motor about 10 times strong, then it started getting weaker and weaker, I thought the battery was dieing, though I found it odd, I charged it again. Not thinking anything of the smoke and horrid plastic burning smell that was coming from my motor.

I came out the next day, everything charged, cooled off, all is well... I turn the key, and "click". I did this for a good 5 minutes in disbelief... I then decided to take the starter off. The brushes were coming out of all the holes, the ground wire on the starter was already flaking off, and the starter was actually SMOKING!

So I brought it back, they played with it for about 5 minutes watching it smoke because it's fun I guess. The one that I got was NOT remanufactured, they gave me back a remanufactured LT1 style starter. I asked them to give me a new one, not remanufactured, but they said that even though the old one wasnt, that this new one has the same product code, therefore same price. I was a little steamed about this too, but what can you do I guess.

I went home, installed this "new" starter, spun it about 10 times and it worked great, after about the 5th spin though the starter wouldnt detract quick enough, and would catch on the flywheel for a second. Then at about the 15th spin (I was trying to adjust the distributor and get the timing on good enough to start the car) the starter just stopped retracting, and would just spin. It didnt make that "woosh woosh woosh" sound like normal, it just makes a constant vacuum cleanerisque sound.

I brought the starter in, told them to test it, he tests it, brings it back "This starter is perfect". I asked him if he it retracted, he said yes. I told him that the gear doesnt seem to be shooting out, instead it just spins. He said to shim it.


I went back home, put 1 shim on, it hit the flexplate once, then started spinning, and would spin every time after that, no flexplate hittage. I then put another shim on after that, and it did the same thing (this was a day later) with hitting the flexplate once, then just doing the spinning thing.


So now I have a starter that retracts the gears once if you put on a shim (weird?), and sounds like a vacuum cleaner... nice upgrade, huh?

[Camaro350Z28]

manually break the starter so when they test it its bad.. argue with them get your money back and lemme tell ya.. never go to schucks again... lifetime warrantys are great and all but ive seen many times.. someone having to go back 5 times just to get a part that works. Just my cents.

and sorry bout the problem it really sucks when that crap happens.. parts store.. ha.

[iansane]

I take that personally since I now work for shucks.

No, I'm kidding. That sucks though dude. That's really odd they gave you a reman'd. They should've given you what you payed (the NEW one) for as a warranty replacement.

Although there is a reason people call them Schmuck's

[Sellmanb]

Good idea on the manual breakage lol... I was going to take it apart and find what broke so I could bring it in and be like "this broke, gimme a new one" lol... but the problem is... it IS broke, they just dont think it is... how can I go about proving to them? lol

I mean, if my wiring or grounding was messed up in any way, the starter wouldnt work at all, right? Starters are pretty plug n go...

[ET phone hoME]

go get another from another parts store, bring it over to shucks, put the shucks starter in and demonstrate its failure, then put the other brands starter in and it will fire right up, then demand a refund on the shotty one