Thanks, Randy / RPM! 4-brush starter got here before I did!

[Bill_Rockoff]

What's faster than an FJ?  An FJ 4-brush starter.

What's faster than a 4-brush starter?  RPM customer service.

My FJ has been getting slower to start over the years (you guys had to push-start me once at a Rally!) and it was never great to begin with.  I was on a job site halfway across the country for payday earlier this week, and I thought "I better order the 4-brush starter that RPM has.  It's hardly more expensive than rebuilding the 2-brush starter."  I placed my order on-line on Tuesday morning and it had shipped before I got back to my hotel Tuesday night.  It got to my house in Atlanta before I did.

What's substantially slower than any of the things above?  Me, installing a starter.  I'll do a separate thread in "Maintenance" about that, and about my incompetence installing a valve cover gasket that required me to order another one of those from RPM as well.

- Bill
'89 FJ
107,000 miles

[Pat Conlon]

......and about my incompetence installing a valve cover gasket that required me to order another one of those from RPM as well....

.....yea Bill....it took me only 30 years to learn that lesson.....and several scoldings from Randy....

Lesson finally learned....sigh. 
Use only spot tabs of Perma gasket to hold the corners of the gasket in the valve cover....no where else.

You're gonna like that starter....

[Zwartie]

Bill,

I couldn't agree more about the starter and Randy's service! I ordered a starter and solenoid last week and had it shipped to our company's sales rep office in Hot Springs, AR this week. Picked them up from their office on Monday (in Hot Springs for a trade show) and brought it home Wed. Saved me the hassle and cost of shipping to Canada. Installed them on Wed night, took me about an hour in total just to remove the tank, air filters, alternator cover and clutch (to get at one of the alternator cover screws) so I could wiggle the starter out and get the new one in place. Once I put it all back together and started the bike up for the first time all I could think was...holy shit, followed by, why didn't I do this last year??? The new starter spins at least twice as fast as the old one (judging by the sound) and I swear I could hear the Hallelujah Chorus sung by angels on the first start. Maybe it was just me. Why oh why did I ride to Alaska with the old starter??? The true test will be starting the bike once the engine gets fully warmed up, something the old starter hasn't been able to do for at least a full season. I have a feeling this one will perform nicely!

As usual, top notch service and advice from RPM!

Zwartie