"Modern Bendix Drive vs A Start Drive.

Y-Blockhead

Y-Blockhead

Well-known member
While perusing Snyder's Catalog this morn I noticed a "Modern Bendix Drive". What is the advantage (or disadvantage) between this and the stock drive? it appears to be more inclosed?

Nothing wrong with my starter, just being curious...
 
Y-Blockhead said:
While perusing Snyder's Catalog this morn I noticed a "Modern Bendix Drive". What is the advantage (or disadvantage) between this and the stock drive? it appears to be more inclosed?

Nothing wrong with my starter, just being curious...
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Nothing at all negative with using this newer innovation for the old starter.
I put one on an original (cleaned up, but not rebuilt) '30 starter , when they first began to appear, for model A starter, on market many years ago. Mine is still going strong more than ten years later.
Advantage is that I also use 12 volts on my original 6 volt starter; quicker spin/start of engine and without damage / breaking of stock drive bolts , which end up in bottom of flywhl housing. And modern bendix drive is CHEAPLY priced part, reliable whether 12v applied or 6v.
Disadvantage , is that you have to do work to install this newer drive, if that small amount of work can be seen as disadvantage.
 
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machine girl said:
we don't use them because you cant remove the starter without removing the water neck.
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Hopefully you don't have to remove your starter very often?

hardtimes said:
Advantage is that I also use 12 volts on my original 6 volt starter; quicker spin/start of engine and without damage / breaking of stock drive bolts , which end up in bottom of flywhl housing.
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I too have 12v on a 6v starter. Is the broken bolts a common thing? I'm a big believer in preventative maintenance and/or upgrades.
 
If you run the F 100 steering box, which I'm sure machine girl has, you do need to remove the water inlet from the block to have clearance.

Wm J.
 
No problem down under , we put the steering box on the RIGHT side, But all mine are LHD,s, Mod drive works good & less expensive.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Hopefully you don't have to remove your starter very often?



I too have 12v on a 6v starter. Is the broken bolts a common thing? I'm a big believer in preventative maintenance and/or upgrades.
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I have never had a problem with bolts or springs, in fact I've never had a starter problem except for when I got some grease on the helix. That makes it sticky in cold weather and keeps the pinion from sliding up the shaft to engage. You don't want anything on the helix more than a coat of very thin oil to keep the rust away.
 
I've been running two of them for the past 8 going on 9 years with no problem . I run the one on my roadster 12 volt with original 6 volt starter and the one on my september 29 on 6 volts. I've never had to remove either starter since installation but figure that it shouldn't be a problem . I didn't have to remove the side water inlet when I installed them. I've run twelve volts with the original bendix drive before and have never broken a bolt or spring. My thought was that the eighty year old bendix drives can drop a bolt no matter what voltage is used and modern just seemed a good way to go .
 
Been running modern drive on 31 tudor and 29 roadster since 2003, no problem yet. I have never needed to remove water inlet, I run stock steering box. have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Hopefully you don't have to remove your starter very often?



I too have 12v on a 6v starter. Is the broken bolts a common thing? I'm a big believer in preventative maintenance and/or upgrades.
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'is the broken bolt a common thing' ?
Good question. The answer, for me, is not at all since using newer bendix.
However, in old days , when I just drove /drove original As and never seemed to do anything mechanical to them, the one thing that I remember is when trouble with starter drive bolt breaking...Acheles (?) heel type thing :) ! In modern times, I use modern bendix drive with confidence. And, I believe as you believe :D
 
Wm J. said:
If you run the F 100 steering box, which I'm sure machine girl has, you do need to remove the water inlet from the block to have clearance.

Wm J.
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Found this out the hard way. Although, it's not all that much trouble to remove the water inlet (2 bolts). I just keep a couple extra gaskets on hand just in case.
 
Well I guess I'm the odd duck again. I had one of the modern ones for about 8000 miles and I had to pull the starter for another reason,and the bolt that can't fall out was loose, not broken just loose. The starter was also really hard to pull out and put in so I decided to just put the old Bendick style in it and every year to pull it out and check the bolts and just be part of routine maintenance
 
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