Dave and other B Series engine users. There are two quite different designs
of starter which can have been fitted to your engine at any time. One has a
conventional Bendix as we all know it with a brass pinion about 1" deep
which 'throws' forward up the shaft as the starter is spun. The other has a
completely different pinion which is a long brass assembly about 4" long
which also spins up the shaft of the starter to engage the teeth of the ring
gear. In my experience, this type is far more likely to become lazy in use
or to jam up because grease, oil and general grunge congeal up the inside
of the pinion tube and you have a far bigger area of pinion in contact with
the shaft. Maybe worth pulling the starter to check it out. The difference
is apparent as soon as you look at the pinion gear.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Merchant" <kosh@nesys.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 7:41 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Ferret starter problems part duex
> Don't know the details of that Lucas starter (as if anyone does),
> but assuming it's similar to a conventional Amurrican one,
> the symptoms may indicate:
>
> 1. The Bendix is not disengaging from the ring gear.
> Turning the engine a bit in the normal direction of rotation
> tends to back the pinion gear down its helical ramp, out of engagement.
> The implication is the Bendix is dirty, gummy, worn, or corroded (maybe
all
> of these),
> or the return spring (if any) is weak.
>
> 2. Any sound at all when it's in sleep mode? A click?
> Silence or just a click may indicate a bad commutator segment
> (pitted, broken segment, broken wire), open winding, or worn-out brushes
> Again, turning the engine with the Bendix still engaged would move
> the commutator to a new position.
>
> 3. If the starter spins but doesn't engage, again, that implies gummed up
> Bendix,
> or bashed up pinion or ring gear teeth, preventing engagement.
>
> Starters aren't that complicated, but first you need to get them out!
>
> Probably a fair chance that the starter is at least partially parts
> interchangeable
> with a civvy automotive or truck Lucas starter, and there are lots of
> rebuilders out there.
> Note that NAPA in the US has a huge inventory of parts you wouldn't expect
> to find,
> in a long rack of catalogs, available on overnight order...
>
> -Dave M.
> ...no MV's yet, just old tractors so far...
> ...and spent many years fiddling with Lucas, Smiths, and Girling bits!
>
> BTW, it looks like the addressing on the list is set up so replies
> go to the individual sender, rather than to the list?
> Adding a "Reply-To" on the list setup would change this.
>
>
> At 10:28 PM 6/17/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >Lucas Princess of Darkness strikes again. As a post script to my starter
> >woes. You may recall I could not get the starter switch to engage with
any
> >degree of certainty recently. Like today when I was on my way to a car
> show.
> > Two hours later, it just starts up like there was never a problem.
Runs
> >perfectly! Even won 2nd place at the Rancheria Air and Vehicle Show.
> >
> >So lets say the starter switch is in one of the "I won't work" modes and
I
> am
> >tinkering around looking for a reason. I've discovered when you use the
> >engine crank and roll the engine over just a turn.... the starter
> >works???!!!! Coincidence? Perhaps. But, I like to think of it as one of
> the
> >completely unexplainable events attributed to the nether world of Lucas
> >Prince of Darkness.
> >
> >Given how little I used the Ferret, I suppose on that odd time that it
won't
> >engage the starter, a little hand crank to coax it to work is an
> >inconvenience I could live with, but it's an odd one isn't it? lol
> >
> >Lastly, my profound thanks to those of you who have responded with
> >suggestions such saying incantations, burning the Ferret at the stake or
an
> >exorcism, all very helpful I'm sure and taken under advisement.
> >
> >Jack Lee
> >
> >===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
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> >To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> >To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
> >
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Dave Merchant
> http://www.nesys.com
> http://www.nesys.com/3d.html
> http://www.nesys.com/HCEA/index.html
> http://www.ncweb.com/users/kosh/
> http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1001363
> kosh@nesys.com
> kosh@ncweb.com
> -------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 05 2001 - 00:40:37 PDT