Yanmar YSB8 - Oil in Starter

[gitfish3]

I have removed the started from my YSB8 Yanmar (from '78 27' Hunter) to attempt to fix the solenoid. There is oil on the flywheel and in the starter which I thought was odd but I have been made aware that some older engines share lube oil with the transmission and this may be normal. I noticed that in the specs for this engine it states that the mechanical cluth system Is the "wet type". So my questions are: 1). What does "wet type" mean? and 2). Do I have a problem much bigger that the solenoid?

[DeepFrz]

Sounds like you have a bad seal, either the engine crankshaft seal or the transmission main shaft seal.

[gitfish3]

What might the consequenses of oil in the starter be? Can I run it this way till winter?

[marc2012]

IFf you are not losing a great deal of oil I would just run it.What kind of clutch is it?Doubt there should be oil in there.As stated probably leaking seal.If real blk, rear main,clearish trans.marc

[never monday]

look at the starter mounting face. There should be a gasket. Your transmission oil circulates around the flywheel area and into the nose of the starter.

[DeepFrz]

Your transmission oil circulates around the flywheel area and into the nose of the starter.

Wow, I learn something new everyday. Thanks Pat

[Mark Zarley]

Wet clutch or fluid clutch refers to the clutch plates that transfer power from the from the input shaft to the transmission gears. Think of it as an automatic transmission in a car with one gear fwd and one reverse. A dry clutch would be like a standard transmission with a manuel clutch. I very much doubt if the transmission oil ( or for that matter engine oil) is supposed to be in with the flywheel and starter. The starter has no oil seals to prevent the oil from getting inside the starter and shorting it out. Any oil would very likely become contaminated with small metal fileings from the wear between the flywheel and the starter. Would suggest removing any drain plug on the bottom of the bellhousing (capturing the oil of course) and running it with the plug out. This will prevent you from messing up your starter and you can monitor how much oil you are really leaking. You may be pleasently supprised at how little oil it actually is and just continue to run it as is.

[never monday]

Originally Posted by Mark Zarley

Wet clutch or fluid clutch refers to the clutch plates that transfer power from the from the input shaft to the transmission gears. Think of it as an automatic transmission in a car with one gear fwd and one reverse. A dry clutch would be like a standard transmission with a manuel clutch. I very much doubt if the transmission oil ( or for that matter engine oil) is supposed to be in with the flywheel and starter. The starter has no oil seals to prevent the oil from getting inside the starter and shorting it out. Any oil would very likely become contaminated with small metal fileings from the wear between the flywheel and the starter. Would suggest removing any drain plug on the bottom of the bellhousing (capturing the oil of course) and running it with the plug out. This will prevent you from messing up your starter and you can monitor how much oil you are really leaking. You may be pleasently supprised at how little oil it actually is and just continue to run it as is.

I would absolutely not follow that advise.

The ring gear is attached to the flywheel which has several planetary gears attached. Running them dry is a recipe for disaster, and a trans replacement of an obsolete unit.

[gitfish3]

Well there does seem to be conflicting opinions here. I do need to make one correction, however. My engine is not a YSB, but rather an SB. I just learned that a YSB is a horizontal cylinder. My surveyor and some of my paper work said it is a YSB, but apparently not so.
I am still not certain what to think. The clutch is definatly a "wet" clutch and it seems that might imply that the flywheel would pick up oil which would in turn get into the starter. My starter seems to run fine so far with oil on the armature. Different mechanics I have spoken with (even Yanmar mechanics) have different opinions. Some say it won't hurt anything, some the opposite.
The face of the starter DOES HAVE A GASKET which implies that oil should be present.
Any other thoughts?

[gitfish3]

I sure hope "never monday" is right!!!

[never monday]

look on the armature shaft when you disassemble the starter. There should be a seal between the main body and the nose area.

[gitfish3]

I did not disassemble the starter but I can look in the opening of the starter nose and see the armature, making me believe there is no seal. Am I correct? or is the seal only on the shaft?

[never monday]

Originally Posted by gitfish3

I did not disassemble the starter but I can look in the opening of the starter nose and see the armature, making me believe there is no seal. Am I correct? or is the seal only on the shaft?

you should have a seal between the internal electrical patrs and the external gear area. It may have been wiped out over the years ans only the outer shell still in it's home.

[gitfish]

Never Monday

Thanks for the input. I looked again at the starter and I think I was mistaken about saying I could see the armature. I think that is behind some kind of internal baffle which I can see. The original reason I removed the started was because the solenoid seemed to be malfunctioning and by shorting across the posts on the rear I discovered that it was in fact not sending juice to the starter. I have also determined that a solenoid is only available at a cost well above the cost of a new starter and solenoid together! That makes no sense but I ordered a new starter and solenoid. I hope that the gasket comes with the new starter, but if not can I use the gasket stuff in a tube or would I be better of cutting a new one myself? I also find it odd that most vendors selling Yanmar parts have a gasket kit (or a list of them) but no-one lists a started gasket???
Any thoughts on that?

[never monday]

the gasket sets are preassembled by Yanmar. So that decision comes out of Japan. I don't have much input on that.

If you don't have the gasket. I like the Permatex Ultra line of sealants. Since both parts are Aluminum, I'd lean to the gray. Ultra black will work if it's what you can get. Stay away from RTV.