A rebuilt engine will be stiff, and cold temps aren't helping either. It will probably loosen up after a couple of hours. The performance of the S/G could be helped by cleaning the commutator and replacing the brushes if they are worn down. There isn't much else you can do. As long as the electrical stuff in it functions, the only things you'd have to replace are bearings and brushes. If the armature or field coils are bad, they're about $60 each. I would disagree with it not being worth it to rebuild if the field coils and or armatures are bad, as I'm sure the Chinese 'replacement' starter/generators are absolute crap and not worth the $90 they cost. These old ones are built much better, and the available replacement parts seem to be decent.
Don't forget to re-torque the head after either 30 minutes at 3/4 throttle or the first hard pull. I'd go with the latter since this is a rebuilt engine. Change the oil frequently, after the first hour, fifth hour, and then maybe 25 hours depending on how the oil looks at the second change. A magnetic drain plug is a good idea, too.
|