Return to the home page...

Go Back   Moyer Marine Atomic 4 Community - Home of the Afourians > Discussion Topics > Troubleshooting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   IP: 204.157.20.46
Old 10-13-2004, 04:08 AM
Unregistered
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Question Starter Problem

My Prestolite starter (Part #MBG 4129) on our 1967 Atomic Four started making a terrible noise a few weeks ago, when we were under way. I pulled the starter, and found that the cotter pin in the castled nut on the Bendix was corroded, and bits of it were in the gears. I cleaned it up, (after using a magnet to recover the nut I dropped in the bilge!) put in a new cotter pin and she started right up. Occassionally the starter seemed to "hang up" briefly and make the same noise again, but then quiet down within a few seconds after starting.
Yesterday this noise seemed to get more persistant, so I took off the flywheel cover and am trying to figfure out what to do next. The Bendix gear is engaged with the engine off....is that normal? Could lubrication solve the problem? A new spring? Any advice greatly appreciated.
Reply With Quote
  #2   IP: 69.72.48.252
Old 10-13-2004, 06:28 AM
Don Moyer's Avatar
Don Moyer Don Moyer is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,811
Thanks: 0
Thanked 183 Times in 124 Posts
The teeth on the starter gear on your Prestolite starter are slanted so as to "fling" the gear back into the starter and away from the flywheel as the engine starts and the RPM of the flywheel exceeds that of the starter motor. Now and then, as you would be "bumping" your starter on and off with the engine not starting, the gear might remain engaged in the teeth of the flywheel.

If the gear hangs up in the flywheel after the engine starts, it's usually an indication that the spiraled shaft of the Bendix unit is dry, or dirty, or both.

I would remove the starter again, and wash the drive unit with carburetor cleaner, and then soak it with a light oil (like Marvel Mystery Oil). If the gear is free on the spiraled shaft and still won't come out of engagement with the flywheel, you may have excessively worn teeth on the flywheel or starter gear, or perhaps a slightly bent shaft (more likely).

Best regards,

Don Moyer

Last edited by Administrator; 10-13-2004 at 09:00 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
None

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Moderation Tools:
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:40 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.


Universal® is a registered trademark of Westerbeke Corporation

Copyright © 2004-2024 Moyer Marine Inc.

All Rights Reserved