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Starter engagement problem

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58Custom

58Custom

Jedi Warrior
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Just as the car began running well and after I rebuilt the tach with Steve Maas' circuit and had the tires rebalanced as best as they could (confirming my vibration problems are due to old wire wheels needing service) a new issue has cropped up.

One day after commuting to work I went to take a package to UPS at lunchtime. I turned the key and the starter motor turned but did not engage the flywheel. I hit the key repeatedly and finally it did engage. I did not have any more problems with it until it happened again once yesterday. This morning I pulled the starter out and took a look at the gear. There seems to be no problems. It moves very easily, the splines (or tracks) are clean and smooth and it's well lubricated. I did add a little more oil but nothing looked wrong. Back in it went.

What would cause the starter gear to not engage?
 
Flywheel ring-gear will wear in one specific area, too.

The shaft of that starter should be dry, BTW. Graphite if you must use a lubricant. Oils and grease gather and hold dirt, it will bind up for sure that way.
 
DrEntropy said:
Flywheel ring-gear will wear in one specific area, too.
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are you suggesting that the ring gear might have a bad spot which would allow the starter gear to freewheel? That's an interesting suggestion. I had not noticed any seriously bad sections of the starter ring when I had the engine out a while back, but I did not inspect it that closely. One way to test that would be that if it happens again, I should put the trans in gear and give the car a little shove to turn the engine and then try again.

DrEntropy said:
The shaft of that starter should be dry, BTW. Graphite if you must use a lubricant. Oils and grease gather and hold dirt, it will bind up for sure that way.
Click to expand...

Gotta get some dry graphite. I have some in a can with propellant.
 
Make sure the starter is getting all the punch it can from the battery.If it
doesn't get enough it could possibly not fully engage the bendix as it must spin in with centrifugal force. Check your cables,could have a bad winding or cable and if it is sensitive to heat, starts ok cold spins and misses on a warm engine start. Lets hope it not the flywheel ring and check the easy stuff first.
 
Ahh, in fact starter gear spins in. Yep must have good speed.
 
Tom said:
One way to test that would be that if it happens again, I should put the trans in gear and give the car a little shove to turn the engine and then try again.
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Yup.
 
The one way clutch it the starter "bendix" wears out and "free-wheels". Your car is older than many kids. Likely, so is the starter. Especially given that these cars require so much more cranking than anything modern. My money is on the starter drive gear one way clutch aka "bendix".
 
Especially given that these cars require so much more cranking than anything modern


you got to be kidding me. These engines, when set up properly start immideately if not sooner. you can not get your hand off the starter quick enough.

Much much much better than a new car.
 
Mine starts quick enough when it is warm, but requires a few extra cranks in the winter (more than my modern).

Jack, when was the last time you started Miss Agatha in 25 degree F weather?
 
jlaird said:
Especially given that these cars require so much more cranking than anything modern


you got to be kidding me. These engines, when set up properly start immideately if not sooner. you can not get your hand off the starter quick enough.

Much much much better than a new car.
Click to expand...

I agree totally with ya, Sir!

And as for the ~cold~ starting, THAT'S what the CHOKE is for. I have had LBC's in about every climate, they are as easily started as anything else when things are set correctly. As Jack says, you can't get yer mits off'n th' key quick enuff. It may take TWO revolutions in sub-zero weather.
 
And just to throw my two cents worth in, I totally agree with Jack & Doc. ....If it doesn't do that then you have something else wrong too!!
 
Maybe I'm too cheap to spring for a battery that will really ZIP. :wink:
 
I owned Bugeyes in Hawaii, Atlanta, Battle Creek MI, and Florida. All but Miss Agatha were daily drivers and one was family car.

Never had a starting prob even at 0 degrees. Keep em tuned and they are happy little engines.
 
As my ex-pat English friend says: "Even HALF right they'll RUN. When they're set up properly they'll run in th' bottom of a bucket of [censored]!"
 
DrEntropy said:
As my ex-pat English friend says: "Even HALF right they'll RUN. When they're set up properly they'll run in th' bottom of a bucket of [censored]!"
Click to expand...

I'm grateful for that full quote most times, mine is just referred to as the last part - you know, the part starting with "bucket." :lol:

seriously now, and not wanting to hijack the thread too much, I was going to post a related thought which is this. My car was taken off the road in the early 90's by the PO due to an accident. Therefore, I can presume that it was running fine till then. I also know that the PO's son tried to get the car running at some point later. It has been interesting to me as I have restored it the things that were wrong with the car that the accident had nothing to do with. so, for instance, the water choke was broken. I just discovered the overflow tank is leaking. the rad was on its last legs. the throttle mechanism was damaged and the list goes on. Makes me wonder that it started at all back then.
 
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