Bendix gear

SweeperForce

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
487
Hello,
I'm getting a little sick and tired the bindix gear dropping down while I'm cranking. Anyone have a good ideas on how to prevent this. The starter is less than 2 years old. It should work flawlessly.

Tom
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
18,183
Re: Bendix gear

Picture 004.jpgPicture 002.jpgPicture 001.jpgPicture 008.jpgPicture 006.jpg
Usually the reason for this is: weak starter,cheap starter(some Chinese starters are real crap).Weak magnets,bad brushes(again Chinese inferior products.
It's almost impossible to find good repair parts.Even Mercury uses some Chinese crap.
Take it apart and check the condition of the brushes.Possible one brush is stuck.
Even NEW can be bad.
Since most outboard starters are in the up and down position the residue from the brushes stays right in the bottom and will short out.
The middle pic shows the brushes stuck in the slots.Not supposed to happen.
Last shows old and new springs.
Most of the damage was from overheating the starter.
The motor had low compression and the owner kept trying to start it and ruined the armature.
 

Jiggz

Captain
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
3,909
Re: Bendix gear

It drops down because while cranking the engine coughs, thus over running the bendix gear (pinion gear) which is designed to disengage in such a scenario. This design prevents the starter remaining engaged with the engine already started. So the starter is not the problem. The problem is with the engine coughing and not firing right off the bat. You might want to check the fuel system instead especially the setting of the idle mixture screw or what they call as air screw and of course the choke mechanism. Sometimes it's normal to take one or two times of engine "coughing before an engine finally starts depending if it's cold or warm or hot.
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
18,183
Re: Bendix gear

I had a Bronco that the starter would only turn the motor over for 1-2 seconds then kick out.No backfiring no coughing.
I tried to have it tested.The guy said it was junk,old and weak.
After rebuilding it worked fine.
When my twin motors cough and sneeze,my starters don't do that.
 

hotrod53

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
508
Re: Bendix gear

I have the same problem with my '77 500 Thunderbolt, but I think my cause is different. I'm thinking that the starter isn't coming up to 100% RPM. I think this because when I let go of the key, I hear a ooooooooh sound, like maybe a dry bearing. My bendix gear looks worn a little from years of starts. If it went up in 100%, it probably wouldn't matter though. Oh, I do have a new battery too.

I've never torn into an outboard starter, but I have rebuilt car starters and alternators, can't be all that bad.
 
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