VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 starter

I finally got around to buying a 6v battery, and installing it. I tried the starter...nothing happened..so I checked, no voltage getting to it...I took the switch out, and cleaned the dirt out of it, and tried again...it spun but did not try to engage. I took the starter out and pushed in the Bendix, and did a little lubricating. I put it back in the car, and tried again..it does engage when the engine is in some positions, then about a quarter turn of the engine it disengages and spins. The flywheel teeth are worn quite a bit, probably from 1/4 to 1/3 of the ends of the teeth are gone.

What's my next move? reverse the ring gear? is there anything I can fiddle with on the Bendix to get it to move more? I forgot to take a picture of it...looks like there are some washer between the collar at the end of the shaft, and the starter housing (nose).

This is the tag on the starter, is it original for a late production 28?

Here is the flywheel, although it's the wrong side to view, you can kind of see how some of the teeth are not very long!

another view of the starter Bendix



and the flywheel teeth



any ideas?

Rebuild the starter and replace the starter ring gear. Turning the ring gear over is not an option.

Why not flip the ring gear? looks like I can angle the other end of each tooth with a grinder....is there something else that would be a problem?

And what would I replace when I rebuild the starter?

Thanks!

You can flip the ring gear. No problem with that.Grind a angle and it works great. I Have done it on my -28.Make sure the starter bearing are in good condition. The rotor can hit the steel pad in the housing if the bearing is worn. Starter Model 710-D are the right one for 1927-28

thanks for the info, I'm working on it now...waiting for the gear to get warm, and the flywheel to get cold so I can put it back together easier.

I got the ring gear back on the flywheel, and put it on the engine. IIt works now, mostly...it cranks kind of slow, but the starter stays engaged. I have rather skinny battery cables, so there's probably some loss in them.

Glad to hear your starter is staying engaged.

Yes, skinny battery cables just don't carry the amps necessary for fast cranking. Try some thick welding cable or buy a couple of 6 volt cables from one of the vendors (like Filling Station).

Cheers, Dean

I put some heavy cables on it and it cranks just fine. Still has trouble keeping running, I may need to tinker with the carb...and timing...but it ran long enough to move the gunk off the rust hole in the bottom of the oil filter! Yet another thing to fix.

Looks like you are making progress. Makes one proud to help save another old Chevy. Don't get disappointed if you have several other chuckholes in the road to enjoyment. We are here to help. Many of us have traveled that road.

Thanks! This old car is a lot of fun, and yeah, new problems pop up almost as fast as the existing ones get fixed.

I was able to solder the hole in the oil filter, and it don't leak any more. I also soldered up a couple more holes in the vacuum tank, now I can fill it up all the way and have a lot of fuel to drive around on (I mean, to try to get it running right on).

I pulled the carb off to see if I could figure out why it's not idling for long. The passage from the bottom of the carb up to the idle screw seemed to be plugged. I was able to finally get that tube to start turning, and got it out, and cleaned it..put it back together...it idles now! I was able to go for another drive around the yard. Reverse works. First gear works. I don't have enough bravery yet to try second.

Next up...charging system. And wiring the ignition switch, so I don't have to hot wire it.

And maybe more work on the brakes!

Congrats on the progress!!

In addition to solder, a solution that I like for little stuff is JB Weld. Easy, no heat involved, and can take a lot of abuse.

Cheers, Dean

Ray,
Don't ever give up on giving good advice. The right way is always the best way, but not always the easy way.

Good suggestion! the only problem is waiting for it to cure! Solder is so quick...

I'm also trying to use as many old techniques and materials on this car, as I can. Just for the challenge. Like when I installed an old muffler and pipe today, by welding it on with my torch, instead of using the wire feed welder.