89 force 85 hp starter porblem

[roscoe24]

starter was working fine then starter drive would engage sometimes and then not all I had to put a screwdriver under driver and lightly lift to get it to engage took starter off and cleaned the splines with WD 40 now the drive engages and the starter spins but the drive gear doesn't spin is there a rubber spider inside the driver gear housing that might be worn out or what?

 

[john from md]

Re: 89 force 85 hp starter porblem

The starter "Bendix Gear" has a clutch mechanism that allows it to slip in the event the starter produces too much torque so as to not damage the engine.
These wear with time and need to be replaced. You can find them on iboats or ebay for @ $35.

Depending on the year your starte was made, some starter shafts are staked to keep the nut holding the Bendix on from unscrewing. Others use locktight to do the same thing.

The important thing to remember when replacing the Bendix is to keep the measurement from the tip of the shaft to the top of the nut as exact as possible to the original dimensions. The reason for this is that, if the nut is too low, the Bendix wears faster because the gear is not engaging fully. If the nut is too high, the Bendix will hit the rotating flywheel when it goes to engage and will pop back down again.

Regards,

John

 

[roscoe24]

Re: 89 force 85 hp starter porblem

Thanks John your info helped me with my decision to just by the bendix and not the entire starter I had a feeling there was some kind clutch or gear in the bendix I seen a rubber residue on the top of starter when I took it out.
Thanks again from a former sailor ABH3, USS CONSTELLATION CVA64

 

[john from md]

Re: 89 force 85 hp starter porblem

If you own a boat, you are not a "former" sailor. Those skills you learned as an AB will be needed even more in a vessel where most of the time you are the entire crew!

Just don't lose your anchor or you will have seven years of bad luck.

John