TD5 starter motor , rubber tubes?

Hi, have just finished rebuilding the contacts on this but the two rubber tubes that seem to be drain tubes of some sort. One has broken off and the other is hanging by a thread.
Is it possible or even necessary to replace these? I could possibly botch something together but I'd rather get replacements. Or simply take them out and tape over the holes as I don't go swimming in my Disco.
Open to any and all suggestions.

Dont clog the holes cos it's about condensation too which has to drain out, unfortunately those pipes are not available as spare so botch them up somehow with epoxy or something

sierrafery said:

Dont clog the holes cos it's about condensation too which has to drain out, unfortunately those pipes are not available as spare so botch them up somehow with epoxy or something

Click to expand...

Thanks mate, thought this might be the case.
Do they have some sort of non-return valve in them? Asking this cos I can feel something inside the tube, and I think I can see it.
My first thought was that this was something to do with keeping water out when wading, but apart from that I have never seen a starte motor with anything like this on it and I have taken loads off.
The condensation issue is interesting. My thinking is, once a starter motor is sealed, then any water vapour that is in there will just stay in there. Once condensed onto the steel of the casing, or the ally, it'll maybe cause a bit of corrosion, but that'll stop once the H20 has converted into ferric oxide or ally oxide, so no H20 will be left. Do you follow me? Or am I totally wrong? I can see that a warm bit of metal, once dunked in cold water will lead to the water vapour in any air that comes into contact with it condensing out on it.
Anyway, overnight I have thought about this and realised that the sort of rubber fitting that you put over the wires when attaching a tow bar plug, are about the same length and diameter, with a flat base, so I think I am going to glue a pair of these over the existing tubes, to retain any one way valves that might be in them. Also these fittings are cheap. Having just taken my tow bar off for the welding to be done I got ones to put them back on so I'll get a couple more.
But although I get what you say, I can't help but wonder how water can get into a sealed starter motor. Maybe throught the pinion seal under the pressure of water in the bell housing. But isn't that what wading plugs were for on the D1, to stop water getting in there?
Anyway, I've got the thing rebuilt now, apart from this so I'll see if my idea works and maybe put some picks up, cos I can't be the only person with this problem!
Thanks again, even though the news isn't good, it saves me wasting time trying to find them.

Stanleysteamer said:

Hi, have just finished rebuilding the contacts on this but the two rubber tubes that seem to be drain tubes of some sort. One has broken off and the other is hanging by a thread.
Is it possible or even necessary to replace these? I could possibly botch something together but I'd rather get replacements. Or simply take them out and tape over the holes as I don't go swimming in my Disco.
Open to any and all suggestions.

Click to expand...

nearly allways perished wont hurt

I didnt investigate what's in those pipes though without any wading at all when i removed the starter on mine a bit of water dripped out from one of those pipes so i presumed it was condensation ... what i'm sure is that with or without tubes those holes must be free not clogged, there are starters with just the holes but IMO the principle is the same http://www.delcoremy.com/the-latest/2015/september/tech-tip-starter-drainage-holes

sierrafery said:

I didnt investigate what's in those pipes though without any wading at all when i removed the starter on mine a bit of water dripped out from one of those pipes so i presumed it was condensation ... what i'm sure is that with or without tubes those holes must be free not clogged, there are starters with just the holes but IMO the principle is the same http://www.delcoremy.com/the-latest/2015/september/tech-tip-starter-drainage-holes

Click to expand...

Well I have read this and it seems a bit mad to me. I have to accept it and because I am the way I am I will make an attempt to rebuild the drainage system as came originally with the starter, but thanks James for reassuring me that if for some reason I don't succeed then it is not too much to worry about.
Still don't understand how water can get in there in the first place, but as SF said, if you take it off and water comes out, then there must be some reason for it. Incidentally mine came off and it was dry as a bone.