Installing the starter in a 36 - tips?

[Henryat1140]

At the last part of the Saratoga Springs meet our starter gave out.

Getting it out was pretty easy - we have a pit in the garage. My son was doing the actual wrenching while I 'supervised'. He loosened the two long bolts and the starter was loose, but in manipulating it to get the bendix out from around the ring gear the starter parts separated - no big deal, but of course as soon as the brushes were off the commutator, there was no putting it back together. So it came out in a sort of half disassembled fashion.

We do have a line on a couple of rebuilding places so I'll take it in for an overhaul.

My question has to do with putting it back in. The long bolts don't actually hold the parts together until the starter is fully in place.

So . . . . . do you guys have any tips on how to keep the thing together while you are guiding the bendix past the ring gear and up into place?

Hope this is clear (it doesn't seem very clear as I read it) - and sorry to be so wordy. Hopefully those who have done it will know what I am talking about.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Henry and Jeff

 

[oldskool]

i put 5/16 course nuts to hold it together while getting the bendix past flywheel

 

[CWPASADENA]

It should not be a problem. Be sure the bendix Gear is all the way out toward the end of the shaft. This will make it easier to sort of "Hook" the Bendix Gear around past the flywheel ring gear and then the starter should fit right up in place. If you have headers, sometimes there is not enough room to get the starter in place without removing the header.

As stated above, a nut temporiarly installed finger tight on the outboard bolt will help to keep the starter assembled while you are getting it up in place. The nut can then be easily removed.

My Opinion,

Chris