No bearings-only sleeve bushings. After many years-miles you may find the
armature will need rebuilding. They come apart fairly easy except for the
really tight screws. It has been a while but I believe the Bentley has a few
good pics on how to service it. Find a place to get parts before you begin. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Jim Felder
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 9:19 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Starter issues

Dennis,

I'm about to swap a turbo into my diesel to replace the 1.6 NA. While I'm in
there I wanted to pull the starter and do just what you describe. Any
details on what I should do, and how far I can expect to get it apart? White
kind of lubricant should I use for the solenoid?
What for the bearings?

Jim

On Fri, Jun 29, 2012 at 6:41 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> The 200K alone indicates time for a change or at least a complete 
> disassembly, cleaning and inspection. A bad solenoid , worn brushes or 
> a dead winding can cause the issues you describe.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
> Behalf Of Finn Runyon
> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 5:56 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Starter issues
>
> I recently pulled the starter on my 87 and cleaned all the contacts. �
> For a short time I had no starting issues, but I �once again have an 
> unresponsive starter. �I turn the ignition, I hear the fuel pump prime,
but no starter.
> I cycle the key sometimes 2-3, but often much more before the starter 
> kicks in. �I am unsure if the issue is with the starter solenoid, or 
> the positive cable itself. �This bus spent all of its life up until 
> last July in NJ, so I do have a fair bit of corrosion everywhere. �The 
> starter isn't cheap so I hesitate to simply replace it, but it is 
> original to the bus with 200k on the clock.
> Best,
> Finn Runyon
> 87 Westy Pook
> 89 Westy Roo