[VTR] Starter

[Jeremiah Curry]

I pulled the starter last night and cleaned up the shaft  I am not really
sure what all of the parts are called, so bear with me.  The gear that
engases with the flywheel pulls out easily and as you pull it out the piece
behind it rotates.  The spring that pulls the gear back also appears to work
fine.  However neither of these parts appear to be attached in any way to
the shaft that is attached to the motor part, I can turn them independently.
I cleaned everything up and then realized how hard it is to get the shaft
back in the housing, since you need to push the brushes back into their
guides at the same time.  Luckily my wife helped me there (she must love
me!)  Once the starter was re-installed I tried it with the same results, a
lot of spinning without engaging the flywheel.

I checked the flywheeel and it isn't missing any teeth.  I also attached my
batter charger on the "start" position to the positive ground and the
negative terminal of the starter to make sure it wasn't a starter or wiring
problem, again the starter spins like crazy without engaging.

This leads me to believe the part of the starter that converts centrifical
force into forward motion doesn't work...but I'm not sure how that happens
at all.


Thanks, in advance for any help
Jeremiah

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Green [mailto:robminil7 at mac.com]
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 9:44 AM
To: jercurry at comcast.net
Subject: Starter


Jeremiah,

     Maybe I'm getting in this a little late, but what you describe
sounds like a Bendix spring failure or that the gear the Bendix
spring holds back from the flywheel when the starter is not engaged
is sticking on the shaft of the starter. The gear I mention is held
back from the teeth of the flywheel when the starters not engaged.
When the starter is engaged, the Bendix spring compresses, allowing
the gear to slide forward on the shaft of the starter, and engage the
flywheel. If the Spring does not compress, or the shaft of the
starter is gummed up (the likely cause) the gear does not slide
forward and engage the flywheel. The starter just spins along
merrily. Pull the starter, clean up the shaft of the starter and the
Bendix gear/spring, lube the bearing of the starter while you have it
out, Also look at the brushes of the starter at this time and clean
up the communtator of the armature of the starter. Slide the puppy
back in place and it should work. Other possibilities are 1. there
are some teeth missing from the flywheel, in which case you can move
it past this area by putting the car in gear and move it a bit
forward or back to move the flywheel, and try again. 2. The "dog"
gear, or the gear on the starter shaft controlled by the Bendix
spring is bust, in which case replace the  starter. 3. The starter or
battery are not up to snuff, and they don't generate enough torque to
compress the Bendix spring far enough to engage the dog gear.

Good Luck,

Rob Green