New gear reduction starter motor failure?

[Pex]

I replace my old starter motor to a Powerlite gear reduction starter motor a 2 years ago. I did notice that it had problem getting the starter motor to really engage to to the flywheel ring gear but thought it had to "wear in" a little. Today it just spins when I turn the key so I removed it, tested it in a bench. Seems like there is a spring or a part of a spring missing. When I test the motor, the "Bendix" gear isn't thrown out, instead floating on the extended shaft. I think the spring has been broken since there are a piece floating on the shaft. This could explain the problems I have had almost the whole time.
I would guess I used it maybe less than 100 times (Corona stopped all driving for nearly 2 years) and this is the first year I really used it since the rebuild.

Am I right in my assumption that there is a broken spring and is this a known problem with these starters?
I don't want to put in a new one and have to change it again next year, considering putting the old one back . Then there is the question if I need to replace the ring gear or it will still work with a new starter

FYI, I have the correct starter without any shim and It does engage almost the whole length of the teeth on the Bendix gear.

[abowie]

I can't answer the questions about the starter but that ring gear is a mess.

Pragmatically though, you have nothing to lose by installing another starter and seeing what happens. If you get lucky and it continues to work you avoid taking the engine out.

[mgcjag]

I havent heard of spring failures like this before..you should contact the manufacturer and discuss the issue....I have had discussions with Powerlire about their fitting instructions and if a spacer was required or not.....i had no response and gave up chaseing them....but they assured me that their bendix could not chew up a flywheel and stated that the bendix was much softer than the flywheel.......I knew this was nonsense.....but would be worth you contacting them and expressing your dissatisfaction .....and asking what they could do to assist......Steve

[christopher storey]

I agree with Andrew and Steve : something has gone radically wrong and has chewed up the ring gear. What is not clear to me is which came first i.e was it the damaged ring gear which broke the starter, or was it the broken starter which damaged the ring gear ? I think the latter is the more likely . Personally I don't think that ring gear is salvageable

[abowie]

Personally I don't think that ring gear is salvageable

[lowact]

That flywheel damage is bad, suggests to me the pinion and ring gear are incompatible, is the diameter of yr OEM and geared starter pinions the same, also the number of teeth?
Either the pinion was incompatible causing the spring to break or the broken spring was the culprit, allowing the pinion to grind against the ring gear as u drove along? I doubt the latter because the noise would have been tremendous ...

[mgcjag]

Hi Peter....what is the model number of your starter......Thanks....Steve

[Pex]

I've called Powerlite this morning and as expected, they where very helpful.
Decided that they probably send a small kit to fix the broken spring on the shaft since the starter is new and it's easier and quicker than returning the whole unit for a new one.

The flywheels ring gear is another story, I turned the crank by hand a full revolution and its only partly damaged in few places so hopefully it will be good enough for starting. I will try just to bolt on the Starter when it's fixed and hope for the best, Remove the engine is something I want to avoid if it isn't necassery, at least not now during our short summer season.

My theory is that the spring has been defect/broken from the beguinning and has never fully engaged to the ring gear, probably bounced and sometimes ended up in a position to crank the engine. The engine has always been starting without any hasitation so the small grip has probably been enough but also damaged the tooths in the ring gear.

Steve... The model number is RAC303.
Perfect fit without any shims, probably only my usual bad luck when ordering things


The ring gear was new so it has been eatead by the starter, about the compability between the bendix gears, look the same and should be correct, the lukas unit has slightly leaning ( not straight) tooths.

[mgcjag]

Hi Peter. ....i would at least try to tidy up the damaged teath with a file through the starter access hole....Steve

[Pex]

Good idea, I will try if I can access it from beneath.
// Peter

[christopher storey]

Peter: if you take out the air filter canister complete, you should be able to reach the ring gear reasonably comfortably from the side

[Pex]

Took 3 days to tidy up the damaged tooth’s on the ring.
Got a new starter motor today from SNG after I talked to Powerlite and SNG Barrat, they where both very helpful.
Mounted the new one and tested it without spark plugs, spins very nice and no strange grinding or other strange noises.
Still, when cranking the engine and the engine starts there is some noice like if the bendix gear isn’t retraced fast enough, don’t sound right. The good thing is that I can use the car now but I probably need to change the ring gear and i will probably remount the original Lukas starter motor.