|
|
Post by admin on Feb 3, 2012 23:18:53 GMT -5
I bought two NOS starters from eBay a year or two ago. I installed this Bosch unit on my engine and it worked like a champ for about ten starts,  Now when I turn the key and crank it over, it just spins the starter and does not catch the flywheel gear. When I pull the starter out of the engine and crank it over, the gear pushes out all the way through its travel shaft so I don't know why it does not catch the flywheel starter gear anymore, when it used to work great. Thoughts? |
|
|
|
Post by ddub on Feb 4, 2012 0:00:31 GMT -5
Check your alignment.
If the starter gear is too far "in" it can't engage the ring gear. Probably not real likely, but something to look at.
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 4, 2012 3:47:39 GMT -5
Check your alignment. If the starter gear is too far "in" it can't engage the ring gear. Probably not real likely, but something to look at. Hmmm...I don't know how to check or adjust the alignment... When the starter was new, I just bolted it in and worked like a champ. Now, it sounds like it is spinning free and never contacting the flywheel gear. Again, when I take the starter off and look at it while cranking, the gear shoots out to the end of the shaft as I think it should to engage the flywheel. |
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 4, 2012 4:02:33 GMT -5
I also have this "Snow-Start" brand starter made for the Sachs.  I was going to try to just swap that in to see if it works. You will notice the SnowStart model has a nose that goes over the end of the starter shaft. Because of this nose, I cannot fit it into my engine without removing my drive clutch. This starter must be inserted into the engine almost dead straight on or that nose will hit the flywheel and you will not get it any further. This starter is long enough so the rear housing on it hits the inner sheave of the driven clutch! I believe I need to pull the clutch to get this type of starter installed!  Both starters shown below,  |
|
|
|
Post by ddub on Feb 4, 2012 9:10:13 GMT -5
The drive generally works off of simple forces, nothing "mechanical".
As the starter winds up, threads on the armature force the drive to go out. You have said you have observed this outside the engine. Than as the engine speeds up and you release the starter switch the drive is forced back down with the aid of the spring and centrifugal force.
But, if the drive hits the flywheel, it doesn't have enough force because the threads don't push it that far, it won't engage. Why it would have initially worked, I don't know.
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 5, 2012 23:33:53 GMT -5
So...I thought I would pull the recoil to take a look at what the Bosch starter is doing from the other side of the flywheel starter gear.
I took the four 10mm nuts off the fan, but I cannot get the fan off. It's stuck to the fly wheel. I put a piece of wood up against the fan and beat on it with a hammer for a few minutes. No luck, but I shreaded the wood pretty good!
I spayed it with PB blaster and left it for next weekend.
Any tricks to take these 43 year old fans off the flywheel?
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 11, 2012 23:19:54 GMT -5
I got the fan off the flywheel after the soaking and a little more pounding with a good piece of wood. So, now I was ready to turn the key and see exactly what was going on with the starter gear and watch it NOT engage the flywheel starter gear.  So I turn the key and...it engages now and turns the engine over! Why? Here's my theory. When I pulled my recoil off to get to my flywheel, I noticed the negative lead from the battery that bolts to the engine was pulled out of its connector that bolts to the engine. This is an 8awg wire. So how was the starter cranking before, with that 8awg wire pulled out? There is a smaller wire that runs from the battery negative terminal and bolts to the factory metal battery box that is welded to the Scorpion chassis. So my starter was getting it's ground by pulling the current through that smaller wire, through the chassis, through the motor mounts (with rubber on them) through the motor case to the starter. I believe the voltage drop was enough that the starter was probably not getting enough voltage to push the starter gear into the flywheel gear. Anyway, it cranks the engine now. As soon as I put the fan and recoil back on, it will probably stop engaging again, throwing my whole theory out the window! LOL |
|
|
|
Post by ddub on Feb 12, 2012 1:12:34 GMT -5
Well, I wish you luck.
It is possible that with the bad ground the starter was not spinning as fast as it should, thereby not allowing the starter drive to engage?
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 12, 2012 8:43:51 GMT -5
Thanks ddub. It is a little strange that the starter would push the gear to the end when it was pulled out of the engine for a look but would not push it into the flywheel when I installed it on the engine. When I pulled it out of the engine to test it though, I was grounding the case of the starter directly to the body of the vehicle by just holding it there (SPARKS!)  |
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 12, 2012 8:49:37 GMT -5
Does anyone know if all the sachs singles came with the electric start flywheel gear or just those that had the electric starter? I notice a non-electric start Sachs single has a solid case in the front and back where the starter would go. If I could go back 40 years, I would ask them to make all the cases the same, so any single could be converted to electric start without swapping out the fan shroud assembly to get the starter hole opened up!  |
|
|
|
Post by admin on Feb 12, 2012 8:53:33 GMT -5
Before I put this back together, should I apply some oil or grease to the flywheel starter gear teeth? |
|
