I have a new starter on my 1949 3600 (261ci, SM420) and it grinds 1 in 20 starts as well. Is there no way to adjust the gear engagement separately from the electrical contact point? I mean other than grinding things here and there? I was reading TwoTones post and it seems to me that you can't increase/advance the pinion engagement without also making electrical contact earlier and thus defeating the pinion adjustment.
On mine I tried all sorts of goofy things: advancing the engine a quarter turn (with the fan) before starting (made no difference), eventually settling on just slightly easing off of the stomp switch if I got a grind, the spinning pinion would then completely engage and you could go back with a full stomp and start.
Rather than grind down the bump on the actuating lever (so that the electrical is engaged a tiny bit later), I might try taking off the contactor, slot out the mounting holes just a tiny bit and then remount the contactor and slide it back ever so slightly, like maybe 1/8"? What do you guys think?
Last edited by PapaDisco; 06/02/2022 12:30 AM.
