Stuck starter

Graeme / New Zealand

Graeme / New Zealand

Well-known member
I went to start the car yesterday and all I got was the noise of the solanoid
working and a clunk. So I went to remove the starter and wound out the long bolts, kept winding till they were out. I ended up with the back half of the starter case still hung up on the ring gear with the front half separated. I took the metal hat off the sump at the back of the starter. It appears the bendix drive is stuck fast. What should I do to try and get it out with out damaging it? I tried rocking the car in both forward and reverse gear without any luck.

Thanks

GB
 
Hi Graeme, I had a '48 Ute that did that from time to time, found that in 3rd gear you could usually get it to retract rather than using 1st. Also ended up leaving the end cap off the oilpan so you could get at it with a big shifting spanner or multi grips ( probably get scolded for calling them something that's not US speak :D)......and then it was a simple task to wind the end of the starter backwards and that'd pull the drive back out of mesh with the flywheel....
 
An Aussie "shifting spanner"....metric, no doubt! DD

th
 
Pull the body of the starter off the armature, use a pair of channel locks to turn it- the armature, that is. Could use a filter removal type wrench. I've done this on the road. I can't remember which direction to turn, but properly motivated, could figure it out.

Next time I'll use the above mentioned third gear to rock it- I forget which direction-.

Karl
 
A sticking starter drive is usually either a faulty Bendix (drive), or bad teeth on the ring gear. You should have a small bracket that mounts to an oil pan bolt and one of the starter thru bolts. It prevents the torsion force of the starter from twisting enough to bind the gear in the flywheel. The bracket is part number 51A-11150 V-8. We get ours from C&G for $7 each.
 
Thanks to everyone for their input. I managed to free it by a couple of light hits on the end of the bendix through the inspection hole. I knew i'd hit "paydirt" when I heard it spring back. Supereal I have the little bracket you are talking about. If I need to get a new bendix drive where is the best place to get one? ( not Chinese crapti).

thanks

GB

PS : a mechanic mate of mine calls Chanel-lock pliers "nut f'ers"

A shifting spanner down here is a "crescent"
 
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