# Tecumseh Electric Starter #37000 Troubleshoot



## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

The Tecumseh electric starter (Model #37000) on a Tecumseh OHSK80 motor. (This is on the snowblower in my signature)

Normally, I just pull start my snowblower and never have an issue with it. However, today my wife was going to be nice to me and try and help out by cleaning off the wet, heavy crap we got in this storm.

After walking her through how to start my snowblower over the phone, she didn't have the arm strength to pull it fast enough to start it.....that's when I told her to plug it in with one of my good extension cords and use the electric start.

She tried it, pushed the button and the motor "whined" a bit (about 5 seconds) but over the phone did not sound like it was engaging.....She ended up getting frustrated and letting me take care of everything when I got home.

Snowblower started like it should with the pull start, I cleared out my driveway and a few other neighbors and then brought it into the garage......which then I remembered what my wife said about it earlier.

Went to plug it in....pushed the starter button and nothing, other than it tripped the GFCI right as I did it......reset and tried it again....same result.

Which leads me to my question....anything I need to trouble shoot or look at, anything reusable or rebuildable or do you just throw them and purchase a new one? One thing I noticed on the plug in for the switch, the 3rd prong was missing. I really don't care if it works or not, however if I am out of town or even at work and my wife needed to use the machine to dig out, that's when it comes in handy.

Thanks in advance, and it felt good to toss around a nice amount of snow!

Steve


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Here is DonyBoy73's video on it.


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

Thanks much! 

I’m comfy tonight by the fire, I’ll pull it off tomorrow and see what I got


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

Alright, after watching the video, it was driving me nuts....so I had to go out and pull it.

Not experienced with electric motors, but it looks burnt to me and it stinks like it is burnt. Bought this snowblower 10 or so years ago, guessing the prior owner (lady) probably cranked the heck out of it to start it.

Unless others see something else, it looks like a new starter motor should fix this. So, the next question is....do you go new? Try and find a good used? Stick to OEM and pay the $ or just go for one of those chinese units? Again, unless I screw up a shoulder or my wife is needing to use it, I doubt the electric start would ever get used.











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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

I’ve seen some on eBay pretty cheap, Also my girl is a tiny little woman and started her 8.5hp no problem with how I showed her how to do it, Just put her foot on the tire and bend her knee and get a good hold of the pull cord and have her use her leg to pull it, My girl showed her brother up starting it lol


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* I bet there are alternator/starter shops there in SIOUX FALLS,SD That could rebuild it for you. other wise I would look for a new 1. k:k:k:k:k:k:*


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

That looks pretty rebuildable... Probably just needs a new brush card assembly 35452A $38.27 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Te...h=item5d7ea73016:g:rlkAAOSww9xZLcZc:rk:2:pf:0 (or maybe just the brushes)? Otherwise, for just slightly more money, get one of these for $51.98
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Starte...=item2382b21ea2:g:8pwAAOSwwXRb~1vA:rk:33:pf:0


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

If you don't use the starter, the gear wont spin on the shaft and engage into the flywheel. What I do is take it off, plug an extension card in, spray the shaft with some WD40 and work the gear up and down the shaft. the try hitting the starter button. It should go up/down the shaft as it spins. I then use some Slyde Glyd lube on the spiral teeth, to keep it lubed up. Try this first before you go running out to have it rebuilt.


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

Last Friday, I ended up receiving an email from Ebay for a time window of a few hours for 15% a purchase.

Needless to say, it brought those 50 dollar starters down to about 40-42 shipped. At that price, I figured what the heck and ordered one.

Should be here by the end of the week or early next week and will let you know how the Chinese made starters are.

Kept the old one around (just in case) but by the time I paid someone to rebuild it with the parts, I'd be pushing 100+.

Thanks,

Steve


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

That is a great deal on a new one.
I sold a used one on CL last fall for $50. 



You should run the starter motor now and then to keep rust from building up.


I had one in the past that was seized up from internal rust. I had to take it apart and clean it all up with a wire brush on my dremmel tool. Lubed the bearing journals and it worked fine going forward.


The Bendix drive could use a few drops of light oil now and then. Someone above recommended Slyde Glyde which I think is a dry lube. Even better if you have it.


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