so I dont think the starter bendix is back where it should be, I think it is locked in the out position, did a search and tried spinning it with a wire wheel, no luck, took the bendix off and spun just it, no luck, put it back on the shaft without the pin and spun it no luck...is it not spinning fast enough? will the pinion gear just pop back into place when it hits the correct rpm?? thanks-
It should just "pop" back after the engine fires. They seem to be engaged most of the time the engine is stoped.
so... I've tried both starters I have, one with the spring on the bendix and the other style, both make a horrible racket...I havent cranked enough to get the engine to fire as the grinding concerned me, should I just let 'er rip til it starts and that will pop the bendix back into place... I have a manual flywheel on the engine and the engine is bolted to an auto trans shell...is that flywheel grinding inside the bellhousing? (I know I am intermingling auto and manual terminology here but I think you get the pic) looks to be okay clearance, but???
OK, it's hard to diagnose things like this over the interweb. If you have bad noises maybe you should re-asses. All I am saying is that most starters seem to be engaged to the flywheel when you turn the engine over by hand but when you start the engine they spin out of the way. You may have a different problem altogether.
Tim is right. The drive gear on the starter can either be in the engaged position or not when you install the starter on the motor. Once the engine fires after cranking, it spins that little drive gear back or, dis-engaged. As far as I know there is no difference between a starter for a manual or automatic flywheel so I don't know what to say about the grinding. Unless the drive doesn't dis-engage after the motor fires. Good luck.
To get the starter drive back into the right place to install it on the engine just run the drive on a wire brush wheel on a bench grinder. The spinning wheel on the bench grinder will spin the strater drive and put the starter drive back into the right place, as it is difficult to install a starter with the drive engaged on a Y-block
been seeing a lot of flatheads with gear drive starters, that would be one less problem there to get rid of that big cranky bendix drive, not much good can come of one of those!!
Have you tested the starter out of the engine yet to make sure the bendix is working properly ? You might just need to take the starter apart and give it a good cleaning . Remember to put a little bit of lube on the shaft so the bendix will slide on the shaft easily . It just might be the bendix sticking on the shaft . The starter might just need to be rebuild too . They aren't that hard to rebuild either and the parts can be bought at Macs and similar Fords parts suppliers . Just a thought ! Retro Jim
we're gonna take the body off today and pull the trans to get a good look at everything (its not that big of a job) I really think my lies in the fact I have a manual flywheel on the engine and the engine is bolted to an automatic case (not hooked to the trans. in any way, just using the case so we can mount the engine in the chassis) I think I am having interferrance issue between the flywheel and trans. case. Like Tim said its kinda hard to communicate on the web whats happening. Have bench tested both starters I have and they seem to be okay...tried spinning it with the wire wheel but must no be fast enough...let you guys know what I find out, thanks for the help...
so the hub in the center of the flexplate slides in to the end of the crankshaft? there is no way to bolt the two together???
never mind - found a manual at oldcarmanual.com and found the piece I was missing and went and dug through the stash and lo and behold there it was (whew!) its in the parts washer as I type and the project keeps crawling along.... ever work on a car and get in a jam where things don't come out like they should and you think to yourself "man, I'd like to meet the ##@!@$% who designed this and see him try to fix this..." ran into those same exact thoughts pulling the trans this morning and then I realized - hey, wait a minute, I AM the $%&^# who designed and built this frame this way note to self, make the next trans crossmember removable!
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