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Starter Caught in Flywheel.....Why?

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R6MGS

R6MGS

Yoda
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Ok, as most of you know my wifes daily driver in the summer is the 61 MGA....and at least once every season she gets the dang starter caught in the flywheel, someone(or multiple someones) have to come out and push her to a good speed in 1st gear....where she pops the clutch and gets everything unjammed.....My question is why? Is it just driver error(not releasing the starter cable quick enough) or it there somone not right with the car itself causing this? It used to happen more frequently, but today was the first time it's happened since last summer.
 
Ron, it's a common malady. That's why there is the small square portion of the shaft sticking out the back of the starter. You just turn that, and it backs the starter pinion out of the ring gear.
It could be caused by a number of things, such as a dirty pinion shaft, a weak or broken pinion return spring, low voltage at the starter, ad infinitum.
Jeff
 
It can also be caused by the starter pinion or the ring gear or both being worn and damaged. Pushing the car and poping the clutch is a dangerous way to correct the problem. If the gears are jammed together sufficiently it could wind up bending thee starter shaft orburning up the armature is the gears don't disengage. As Jeff stated, the square portion sticking out the back of the starter (there may be a cap over it) is there so the starter can be turned backward to disengage the gears. An alternative method is to put the transmission in first and rock the car backward or put the transmission in reverse and rock the car forward. I have had the gears jammed so hard on our MGB that I had to disassemble the starter in place to get the gears to disengage. Time to check the pinion drive on your starter and or replace the ring gear on the flywheel.
Good luck,
 
Ugh, I figured this would be an easy 'tell the wife herself is the problem' fixes....but this is gunna require some real work now....although I am content turnin the starter back for now...Think I'll spray down the starter with some de-gunk or something in case it's just to dirty.
 
Most likely your ring gear looks like Poo-Poo....

I have heard of lazy people replacing the original starter w/ a gear reduction/solenoid type, and thereby manage to put off ring gear R&R.

Not that your lazy.....
And even if you are lazy by most peoples standards......
I probably wouldn't accuse you of it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Had 4 different experiences with same
1. Grease lubricant on bendix had gone hard not allowing cog to run off. (clean up up and relubricate)
2. poling out due to mica insulation where carbon brushes sit on rotor (brushes sitting on mica doing zip), (bring all back to even surface and slightly recess mica bits)
3. bad spot on ring gear (bad luck!)
4. solenoid not doing its job
 
Thanks for the tips....I'll look into it this week....It will be the first time I've had to slide under that car all season, so I won't feel so bad.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bendix gears shouldn't be lubricated. . .

[/ QUOTE ] /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif
The manual states to "wash in paraffin (kerosene) and dry using an air blast." No lubricant is mentioned.
It also says " IMPORTANT .- The commutator segment insulators must not be undercut."
Jeff
 
Starters are cheep folks, see your friendly autozone or such, seems they were also used on a Plymouth. Like 30 bucks.
 
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