so what causes the starter bendix not to engage?

[ahardb0dy]

So today my new rebuilt starter that I installed on January 14th of this year, two times out of 10 starts the bendix did not engage, starter spun fine just wouldn't start. First time it happened I tapped on it with the jack rod until the bendix engaged, 2nd time I just rocked the truck slightly forward and it started. So what would cause the bendix not to engage?

 

I know if it's starting to do this than I need to return it for another one just hate the thought of having to pull it again. When bendix engages normally starter sounds fine.

 

Thanks

[Slartibartfast]

To the best of my knowledge, there's no bendix in a Pathy (older cars use bendix starters, which essentially fling the pinion into the flywheel; newer cars use solenoids). There is, however, a one-way clutch in the starter pinion (so that the starting engine won't curbstomp the starter when it fires up), and that can fail. Mine did, and it made godawful squealing noises instead of turning the flywheel.

 

Yours engages (solenoid works), it spins up (contacts/motor are good), but sometimes (and without godawful squealing) fails to turn the flywheel? Either you've got a very quiet and inconsistent failed clutch, or your flywheel's missing a few teeth. (Or, now I think of it, something is horribly wrong with the starter solenoid that's allowing it to close the contacts for the motor without popping the gear out.)

Edited May 8, 2012 by Slartibartfast

[pathybuilder]

You could check you mounting bolts. Probably unlikely but I had this case happen to me. The mounting bolts backed off, just enough for the starter to drop out of position and not make contact with the flywheel.

[Kingman]

There's a pull-in winding and a hold-in winding in the solenoid. Pull-in engages the gear to the flywheel and the hold-in keeps it there during cranking.