12V winch starter motor # 3115

[jdveirin]

I have used a rebuilt Lester # 3115 Ford long shaft starter motor on my winch to launch 3M and 4M wood built up sailplanes for about 15 years. Last weekend the positive terminal on my 12V deep cycle marine battery melted. My previous 12V deep cycle marine battery lasted less than a year. I suspect I need to replace the starter motor. NAPAonline.com offers a rebuilt # 3115 (BA 1876163) for $72 + $10 core charge + tax + shipping (total $95). Williams Motors (wms1.com/specialty/farm/#starter) offers a new # 3115 for $142.37 + shipping (about $155 total). I am in New Orleans. A local shop offered to rebuild my current motor for $185. Has anyone used a rebuilt motor from NAPA? Has anyone used a new motor from Williams Motors? I am aware Injoy sells a new Lester # 3110 for around $120. But, I don't think I want the extra power of the # 3110 for my Paragon, Bird of Time, and bigger woodies. Does anyone have a suggestion on what I should get? Thanks.

[mlee8249]

Hi there,

I have used about 5 of the NAPA 3115 motors, and they don't last very long. About 15 months in club weekend use. On the other hand, I now have an Injoy and that thing rocks! Lots of power and consistent power. If you are worried about pulling the wings off of the RES birds, just use the pedal better. My club guys launch Gentle Ladies without blowing them up on my Injoy equipped winch.

Mike Lee

[jfreeman]

Hey guys, sorry to leverage your thread here, but can you point me in the right direction for a good used, or new winch & turnaround? While I've found the Little Big winch from IRF Machine Works, and various used winches on this forum, I've not come across a good source for info....

Is the best approach to build my own, or ?

Thanks for any advice you can offer. Again, sorry I'm butting in.... :o

Best,

John.

[rogerflies]

Superskeg has the best-looking winch kit around.
http://www.superskeg.com/

I'm selling a used Clutch Winch in the FS-Sailplane forum.

Roger

[jbrandon]

jdveirin: I use the 3115 motors for the same reasons as you. The Injoy motors sound great but they really pack a wallop but you can launch anything with the motor with the proper technique but make a mistake and you have a broken plane. One thing for sure, it would be a while before you out grow the Injoy motor.

I buy the 3115 from anywhere I can get them locally and have them “cleaned up” by a local shop, he charges $25 and he balances the rotor, checks and straightens the shaft if needed, and seats the brushes. If you know someone in the auto repair business you can have them purchase one at cost, about $75.00 plus core. I have made a set of ball bearing end plates for my motor, not sure if it adds anything to the longevity of the motor. My winch does not get a whole lot of use, my “club” currently consists of me and three other flyers but I should think the motor should last a long time. We have yet to deplete the battery (D31) in a days flying.

rogerflies: I agree with you about Tim’s work, but he does not have any in stock and there is a waiting list to get one. I finally (six months wait) got one of his turnarounds and the workmanship is outstanding, like yours! BTW, I bought a lathe, not a big one (7x14) but I am having some fun with it.

jfreeman: I just returned to the hobby and found the same a you, not many offerings and usually not available or cost prohibitive, or I did not like the design. I built my own (http://theshope.net/hobby.aspx), not hard. The drum can present some problems, that is finding one is the problem.

[John Gallagher]

Hasn't anybody come up with a modern automotive replacement for the ancient long shaft?
I've heard that they use an alternative starter motor for winches in Europe.

[rogerflies]

I've built a bunch of winches using a variety of Chevrolet starter motors. It's not as easy to convert them to a winch, but they work quite well. I think they're better than the longshaft in that they are a newer design, have better materials, and most haven't been rebuilt a bunch of times. The brushes can be replaced with a screwdriver, no soldering required. I've even used some that were brand-spanking new. Here's some pics of a conversion:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/winchman/Clutch%20Winch%204/

I've also built a few winches using Bosch starters from BMWs. They are the smoothest-running motors I've ever used in a winch, and they have good power for their size. But they are difficult to convert to ball bearings because of the way the brush support is mounted in the motor. You can see some pics of a conversion here:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/winchman/Bosch%201point5%20KW%20Starter%20Motor/

Of course, you don't really need to put a bearing on the brush end of the motor if you put one on the outer end of the drum.

I've only worked on one of the "new" longshaft motors from India. It made an awful squawling sound when I ran it because there was no lubricant on the drive end bushing. The endcap castings were full of voids and hard inclusions, making it difficult to machine them for ball bearings. I'll never work on one of those again, thank you.

Roger

[DACeller]

I have used a rebuilt Lester # 3115 Ford long shaft starter motor on my winch to launch 3M and 4M wood built up sailplanes for about 15 years. Last weekend the positive terminal on my 12V deep cycle marine battery melted. My previous 12V deep cycle marine battery lasted less than a year. I suspect I need to replace the starter motor. NAPAonline.com offers a rebuilt # 3115 (BA 1876163) for $72 + $10 core charge + tax + shipping (total $95). Williams Motors (wms1.com/specialty/farm/#starter) offers a new # 3115 for $142.37 + shipping (about $155 total). I am in New Orleans. A local shop offered to rebuild my current motor for $185. Has anyone used a rebuilt motor from NAPA? Has anyone used a new motor from Williams Motors? I am aware Injoy sells a new Lester # 3110 for around $120. But, I don't think I want the extra power of the # 3110 for my Paragon, Bird of Time, and bigger woodies. Does anyone have a suggestion on what I should get? Thanks.

Well, I have a SuperSkeg with a NAPA Ford motor and haven't had any problems for three years now; Granted at most two of us use it on any outing.
BUT! Napa has a guarantee on them, so just return it for a new one, over and over and over they say.... check it out!