Spinning starter motor

[alpinemauve]

When I turn the key all I get is the whine of the new starter motor spinning. Tried everything I can think of to rectify but drawing a blank. Any thoughts from anyone?

[piman]

Hello Alpinemauve,

what sort of starter motor do you have, if inertia then the bendix is probably stuck, you need to remove the motor and clean\free up the bendix. Do not put any oil or grease on it, leave it dry unless you have access to graphite powder?
If it is a pre engaged, then it will still have to come out, but a possible scenario is that the starter ring gear has moved on the flywheel? That is more difficult to fix in situ?

Alec

[Richard B]

alpinemauve wrote:

W all I get is the whine of the new starter motor spinning. Tried everything

Sounds like its not engaging the teeth of the flywheel.

Do you have the correct spacer fitted, what was the travel on the pinion on the old starter compared to the new unit?

[aar0sc]

Is is wired up backwards and therefore not being pulled in?

[junkuser]

Agree with Piman.
If Bendix type, which it sounds like, don't be surprised if the gear on the Bendix drive is rather mangled also.  Worth replacing if the ends of the teeth are chewed back or twisted while you are at it as this can lead to further damage to the ring gear.

[piman]

Hello Aar0sc,

starter motors are not polarity conscious, so it doesn't matter?

Alec

[aar0sc]

piman wrote:

Hello Aar0sc,

starter motors are not polarity conscious, so it doesn't matter?

Alec

Aren't they? I'd have thought that if it were wired up backwards it'd spin backwards, and therefore not force the toothed cog bit onto the flywheel?

[Hogie]

Hi Aaron,
              if you reverse the polarity of your car - positive earth to negative earth you don;t have to sort out the S/M.

What is the history of the original fault.
Is it a new S/M - what type.
If a High torque then has the pre-engage been wired in correctly (if possible!!)
Was it working then stopped.
Is the battery up to scratch - low volts may spin the motor but not throw it in.

Roger

[alpinemauve]

It's a brand new starter and the old spacer has been retained. On first fitting the car fired and ran albeit splutterry so I assumed all was ok and I put the engine valance back on so the rad wouldn't rattle itself to bits this included the brake line through the valance and bleeding all the brakes before I tried again. Typically it now just spins. So all dismantled and the starter is out again and thankfully no knackered teeth on the new unit.

I've checked and double checked all the connections to solenoid, earth to car and everywhere and it all seems ok. I am wondering if the battery is now the issue

[aar0sc]

2601 wrote:

Hi Aaron,
              if you reverse the polarity of your car - positive earth to negative earth you don;t have to sort out the S/M.

Fair enough! :P

Alpine bloke, ignore me :P

[Richard B]

alpinemauve wrote:

It's a brand new starter and the old spacer has been retained.

I've checked and double checked all the connections to solenoid, earth to car and everywhere and it all seems ok. I am wondering if the battery is now the issue

Just to confirm, this is the same unit (model) as your original?

You can check it off the car with a pair of jump leads.


******* Health & Safety ********

Either do it in a secure vise or I have done it on the ground trapped under a steel toecapped boot. You want to check that the pinion moves forward as well as spinning. Ideally you want two people to do this, one to do the leads and someone else to secure the starter you are testing (they do kick).


Excuse me if you already know this, but inertia starters spin the pinion and move it forward at the same time.

Pre-engaged starters throw the pinion forward and then start it spinning.

With an inertia starter its possible for it to spin but stick and not move forward.

[Pom Down Under]

Have you turned the motor from its original position by hand? Perhaps you have some damaged teeth on that segment of the flywheel - turning the motor by hand a few degrees will offer a diferent section of the ring gear to the starter, which may then engage.     (think)

[junkuser]

Low battery voltage will reduce the rate at which the armature accelerates and this can cause the inertia mechanism to not work.

Just a possible, if the the unit has been assembled correctly and the gear moves freely of course.