Starter motor hanging in, any suggestions

[lisbon_road]

The starter is hanging in on the Viva.  It is a Lucas M35 inertia starter.  I've tried cleaning the bendix area and it seems to spin and move freely, and the spring still springs at least.

 

It is odd as I took another starter off it recently as it has some sort of electrical problem so that it only works intermittently.  

 

Anyone have any suggestions?  I haven't oiled it as I know you're not supposed to get them too oily.

 

Would like to make it to the Billing rally as it is 50 years of this model of Viva this year.  Not much wrong with the car otherwise, though 100 odd miles in it is quite an experience!  And that is each way.

[Richard]

Is the flywheel ring gear chewed up? I seem to remember that being a Viva weakness.

[lisbon_road]

I think it might not be brilliant.  Little odd though that this was not an issue with the other starter motor.  I was thinking of swapping the bendix area assembly between the two starters, though they don't look identical.

 

But thanks for the suggestion Richard.  You could be right, the interaction between stuff isn't always that easy to assess.  Actually I could do the MOT and go to Billing as it is - thankfully my MOT examiner has a sense of humour!

[lisbon_road]

Now the starter is off, I s'pose I could file the teeth straight - if that is the problem.  One way to spend an afternoon.  Autoshite, our friends have no idea what they are missing.

[Stixy]

You have probably already done it  but have you checked the battery leads ?

 

Mainly the  neg lead from the battery to the engine ? or if it has one from the battery to the body then to the engine  try a jump lead from the neg on the battery straight to the engine .

[colnerov]

 Hi, make sure there's the right number of teeth on the bendix. IIRC starters for automatic cars had 10 teeth instead of the manuals 9 (it may possibly be the other way round...That's helpful isn't it?) The point being they work for a while then start jamming up.

 

 Colin

[lisbon_road]

I cannot see how the battery leads can cause an inertia starter to hang in.  As for the number of teeth, hadn't thought of that, all my parts have come from manual cars but I will certainly check that as it is easy to check.  Thanks.  

[Richard]

Your old starter probably didn't throw quite as far as the new one or maybe its teeth are slightly worn so they don't mesh as tightly.

 

You've brought back memories of inertia starters, not all of them good.

[lisbon_road]

The old starter is a newish one.  The replacement is much noisier, though it did start the car ok.  Some stuff to try, will report back.

[Stixy]

I cannot see how the battery leads can cause an inertia starter to hang in. 

 

Sorry Jon  see what you mean now  .

[lisbon_road]

Just had a look.  Done some teeth counting.

 

Am gob smacked.

 

This is why forums like this are so good - I would never have thought of this.  Well, I dunno, it might have taken a LONG time.  

 

One starter has nine teeth, one ten.  Amazing.  Thanks to Colnerov for the suggestion, but of course thanks to Richard and Stixy too!

 

Time to make my self a little spring compressor out of old bits - there's a Youtube film of someone doing this with a couple of mole wrenches, that won't be me!

[lisbon_road]

I have got the two starters and now need to swap the pinions over.  I have removed the springs - easy really - and various washers and the gear that the pinion slides on, but the pinions are firmly stuck on the starters.  How do I get them off?  Any of you lot know please?  Thanks.

[lisbon_road]

 

Looks like you wind the spring up and it sort of comes off.  Will try later.............

 

OK tried later.  Not easy.  Can take apart the pinion unit with a spring clip and rotate the bit inside to get it to come off.  Not too bad.  There is another type where that won't work so it will be out with the hacksaw/angle grinder.  I have one of each, thankfully the 'correct' one is the one that comes apart and is now off.  End of story for the other.  

[sierraman]

Fucked ring gear?

[lisbon_road]

It might be, but it works with the ten tooth pinion, and I now have the ten tooth pinion off and ready to go on the working starter which I have angle ground the pinion off without any problem.  So I am on the way to fixing it hopefully.