Bosch starter motor

[Dave Lakin (Davo Lako)]

What is the correct colour for a1956 Bosch Starter motor?

[mcl1959]

I believe it is Bosch blue, but there are a lot of black starter motors around. Whether or not the black starters are all reconditioned seems implausible. I've seen a lot of low mileage cars with either blue or black.
Ken

[ACT59FC]

My car is pretty original , after I washed all the grime, oil and dust of my engine I found the starter motor to be bosch blue in colour. I purchased another grey motor complete and after a clean up the starter was bosch blue in colour. I don't know the answer but I'm leaving mine the colour I found them in.

Rod

[ardiesse]

Hmm.  FB/EKs certainly had Bosch blue four-brush starters and (if Bosch) voltage regulator covers.  FJs had orange 6-V two-brush starters, generators and voltage regulator covers.  I'm not so certain about FE/FC though, but my hunch is that the 12-V, two-brush Bosch starter would have been black, as were the FE/FC Bosch voltage regulator covers.  The paint colour would have been the way to tell a two-brush 12-V starter from its four-brush sibling in the field.

Of course, Rod, the only way to be sure is to pull the starter motor out, pop the commutator cover off, and see whether it's a two- or four-brush starter motor.  I think it would have been a common thing to replace a two-brush starter motor with a four-brush one.

Ken: Did four-brush starter motors find their way onto late production FCs, like paper-element air cleaners did?

Rob

[KFH]

My late 59 FC had an original 2 brush starter which was black along with the cover on the regulator. I fitted a 4 brush starter which was originally blue.  Another difference in the starters is in the end cap.  The black one has a very square end where the 4 brush cap is slightly rounded where the vertical meets the horizontal.

Keith

[DJ]

My late '59 sedan has a blue 4 brush starter which I thought was original (not so sure now). The regulator cover appears to have always been black.

[ACT59FC]

Mine is an October 59 sedan with the paper air filter, perhaps there was a change in starter motors as well?

[KFH]

Mine has the paper air filter also

[mcl1959]

No evidence in the parts book that the 4 brush starter began in the FC although it is highly likely that very late FC's changed over before the new model came down the production line.

Ken

[mcl1959]

Found this image on Facebook, it seems to illustrate why both blue and black starters and generators are possible


Ken

[ACT59FC]

Did anyone notice the colour of the heads on those grey motors was a rust red like the starter motors?

Rod.