Kind of an odd question.

[renken67]

I recently had to have my starter on my 40 hp '67 johnson rebuilt. If i put it in forward gear and turn the engine by hand in a certain direction the propeller rotates in the direction that would provide forward motion. However, when i use the starter to turn the engine over it actually rotates in the OPPOSITE direction. Why is this?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Looking straight down at the flywheel, the electric starter should crank the engine in a clockwise direction.

If you have standard mechanical shift, it would be impossible for the propeller to turn in the wrong direction.

HOowever, if you have the electric shift model, it would be possible to have the shift wires crossed/reversed, in which case the propeller movement would be reversed.

 

[renken67]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

I'm not actually looking at it right now but i believe it rotates the engine counter-clockwise, its mechanical shifting

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

It's possible to have a prestolite electric start rotate in the wrong direction simply by having the brushes in the wrong position. But this is not possible if memory serves me correctly with the other make starters.

However..... if the starter rotated backwards, that forces the bendix drive downwards, away from the flywheel ring gear, and the starter simply spins and the engine does not crank over at all.

 

[boobie]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

I think you better go and check your flywheel rotation again when cranking it over. What Joe said was right on.

 

[F_R]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Agreed, it is impossible for the starter to crank the engine in the wrong direction.

 

[outlaw241]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

i don't no if this imply s to a starter but here it goes,i recently rebuilt my trolling motor an it worked fine except i had 3 forward gears an 5 reverse,which it was turning the wrong direction. to fix the problem i had to turn the housing that the armature goes threw 180 degrees, there was something to do with the magnets having a north pole,south pole alignment , anyway by turning the housing 180 degrees it gave me 3 reverse an 5 forward gears which is the correct rotation.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Outlaw..... Nope, nothing to do with an electric starter but that's interesting. Glad you were able to correct the problem.

 

[F_R]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Outlaw....sure, electric motors are reversed by changing the position of the magnetic poles. But as Joe explained earlier, even if the starter did run backwards, it could not crank the engine backwards because the Bendix cannot engage the flywheel if it is turning backwards. It simply cannot happen, physically impossible.

 

[Mas]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Is your motor south of the equator?
http://forums.iboats.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
mas

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

This is why I want to start a petition to have Joe change his name to "Yoda"

 

[soundchaser]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Yep, Joe does a pretty good Job.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

Mom always liked me.

 

[Fed]

Re: Kind of an odd question.

If i put it in forward gear and turn the engine by hand in a certain direction the propeller rotates in the direction that would provide forward motion.

Prop should rotate clockwise when viewed from behind, is that how it is?