Michael Graziano wrote:
>
> Well, my starter's been warning me that it was tired for 2 months or so, and
>finally went to sleep
> Saturday night. Now I have three replacement starters (thanx carl and john)
>whose conditions are
> unknown.
>
> My question pertains to the gear that engages the flywheel. How's that damm
>thing supposed to
> work? On my old starter, it moves quite easily up and down shaft (in a
>counterclockwise motion).
> THe teeth on it are completely shot (that's what the problem was). One of
>the new ones moves down
> the shaft easily as well, but another one doesn't move at all (even hooked
>up to the starter
> solenoid).
>
> Is that gear supposed to move along the shaft easily or is there something in
>the housing where it's
> connected that aids its movement. I'm curious b/c I don't know if mine being
>chewed up was a result
> of that easy movement.
>
> Mike
>
> '78 Midget
> '87 300zx (in need of a complete scrubdown)
The gear is supposed to move easily on the shaft. When the shaft starts
to turn the inertia (hence the term 'inertia' starter) of the gear tends
to stop it rotating for a while. Since something has to move, however,
it takes the easy way out by moving along the thread of the shaft and,
Lo, the teeth of the gear engage in the flywheel. It reached the end of
its travel so is now forced to rotate, turning the flywheel. When the
engine catches the flywheel turns faster than the starter spindle, which
flicks the gear back down the shaft, aided by the return spring, and out
of engagement with the flywheel. The manual talks about washing away
any dirt on the screwed sleeve with paraffin, which is fine. But when I
left it at that (many years ago on a Mini) I had repeated problems with
the gear failing to engage, until an old hand told me to put a very thin
film of light oil on the screwed sleeve. Result? No more problems
(with the starter, anyway).
PaulH.
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