The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Stomp starter

I recently put a '55 235 in my '49 half-ton. I was able to use the larger '55 flywheel and starter with the earlier bellhousing. My problem is that often when I stomp on the starter, it seems the starter engergizes before the starter gear engages with the flywheel. Eventually they engage and it starts normally. Is there a way to adjust the starter/switch so that it engages before the starter energizes or am I looking at a different problem?

Could the linkage be bent?

The linkage looks to be straight. It just seems that when you push down on it that maybe the button on the starter is energized before the starter gear is fully engaged with the flywheel.

Is the starter used also? Mine did that when the drive was going bad. I had to hunt to find the right drive for my starter.

The starter is used (came with this used engine). Maybe I should be looking at the drive assembly as the problem?

If it is grinding it will mess up your ring gear in no time. Mine started to do that and I put my spare starter on. I think it was the drive. I don't think there is an adjustment.

The drive may be slipping. Many times they sound like they are grinding against the flywheel teeth when they are slipping inside themselves. Either way, check the drive carefully, and check the teeth on the fly wheel while the starter is off to make sure it isn't messing up the teeth.

It doesn't sound like it is grinding. It sounds more like the drive gear is being kicked out and then starter motor is running free.

Sounds like a high speed whirring hum, right? I had the same problem with my 1958 235 several years ago. I took the starter in and had it rebuilt. I can't remember what the specific diagnosis was, but it boiled down to a weak starter. I want to say it had soemthing to do with the bendix, but again I just can't remember anymore. Once I had it rebuilt, it worked fine. I've had the same issue with a different vehicle in the past few years, too.

Sounds like the bendix (starter drive) is bad.

There is a one-way clutch in the starter drive gear. It sounds like yours is getting ready to fail completely. It's not terribly hard to swap the drive assembly out, but this might be a good time to get a rebuilder to freshen up the old starter. Be sure you get the correct one for the flywheel gear tooth count, although I don't think the 6 and 12 volt starter drives will interchange due to a shaft diameter difference.
Jerry

I agree that it sounds like a bendix issue. A bendix works with the initial turning of the starter armature, extending towards the flywheel with the centrifugal force of the spin. The GM starter bendix were well known for the grinding sound of the bendix gears spinning too fast prior to engaging with the ring gear.
Easy fix: Take the starter out and place in vise. Use a chisel and hammer to pean the outer edge (a couple of spots) of the bendix collar to reduce the slippage when spinning. I have seen this prolong the life 2-3 years. This will at least help diagnose the problem.
Better fix: new bendix, not complete rebuild unless the starter is just tired and not spinning fast enough.

Just one little problem with that fix- - - - -GM starters don't use a Bendix drive. Ford, yes, Chrysler, yes, but the GM starter drives are positively engaged into the flywheel ring gear before the starter motor ever begins to turn. The mechanical linkage of the stomp starter extends the gear into the flywheel, then the copper contacts make to start the motor turning. Ditto on the solenoid-type starters used on the automatic trans models, and all of the engines after the stompers were discontinued. The solenoid linkage has the gears firmly meshed before the motor contacts engage. The overruning clutch on the GM drive is probably slipping, since the engine is only turning some of the time. Peening on the outside of the sheet metal housing will simply make the drive gear lock up in both directions, and probably overspeed the starter armature and throw the windings out of it. A new starter drive is cheap insurance.
Jerry

You are right, I was not thinking, the difference being the stomp starter!!!!!