Flywheel /starters
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 2
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Flywheel /starters
Car started to rip gears off starter drive. Opened inspection cover fly wheel has a few teeth a little worn where I believe lost stater drive gears . no teeth teeth missing. Any tips on what I can do before condeming ring gear and flywheel? Job is a bit to big for me in my garage!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
Is this something just recently? Is the engine in hydro-lock situation? New starter just installed?
It's not common to have to shim a starter after it's been running a while. Need more info.
You need to somehow get this thing up on ramps. Take a long screwdriver and force the bendix out, against the flywheel. You need to check the gap between the two.
I believe its 0.030. Or the equivalent of a heavy-duty paper clip.
The bendix maybe too close or too far away from the flywheel. That's where the shims come in. You just have to figure out which starter bolt will receive the shim if its way off.
It's not common to have to shim a starter after it's been running a while. Need more info.
You need to somehow get this thing up on ramps. Take a long screwdriver and force the bendix out, against the flywheel. You need to check the gap between the two.
I believe its 0.030. Or the equivalent of a heavy-duty paper clip.
The bendix maybe too close or too far away from the flywheel. That's where the shims come in. You just have to figure out which starter bolt will receive the shim if its way off.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
I wanted to verify the engine was not seized due to the cylinders being full of fluid.
In very rare cases, a cracked cylinder head or block, blah - blah- blah leaks coolant into the cylinder. Then the piston has no way of expelling, and the starter gets the worst of it.
Or, another rare event, when fuel bowls empty into the Intake and on down into an open Intake Valve. Then when the starter is engaged it can break pistons or starter bendix.
As far as shims: When either the block was not machined flat or the starter mount casting itself are not perfect. And the all-important gap between ring gear and bendix are not within specs.
I am thinking the new starter may not need shims. And sometimes you should only shim one bolt, not both. In other words, tilting the starter casing.
What you did was shim both bolts. And with three shims, thereby moving the entire casing. Try shimming just one bolt. Which one? IDK. That is where you must witness the bendix actually engaging the flywheel as stated in post 2.
Then figure out which way the starter casing needs to go. Sounds like it's too far away from ring gear causing a slip, teeth chatter.
In very rare cases, a cracked cylinder head or block, blah - blah- blah leaks coolant into the cylinder. Then the piston has no way of expelling, and the starter gets the worst of it.
Or, another rare event, when fuel bowls empty into the Intake and on down into an open Intake Valve. Then when the starter is engaged it can break pistons or starter bendix.
As far as shims: When either the block was not machined flat or the starter mount casting itself are not perfect. And the all-important gap between ring gear and bendix are not within specs.
I am thinking the new starter may not need shims. And sometimes you should only shim one bolt, not both. In other words, tilting the starter casing.
What you did was shim both bolts. And with three shims, thereby moving the entire casing. Try shimming just one bolt. Which one? IDK. That is where you must witness the bendix actually engaging the flywheel as stated in post 2.
Then figure out which way the starter casing needs to go. Sounds like it's too far away from ring gear causing a slip, teeth chatter.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Jun 7, 2023 at 06:15 PM.
