VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 '33 Bendix starter drive differences

I am rebuilding a spare starter for my car.

It came with a bendix, but I also purchased a new bendix drive with spring from the filling Station.

The drive that came with the starter has a positive interlock to the driven part---the piece that is firmly attached to the armature by the bolt and key,has a tang that indexes into a slot, about 5/8" wide in the rear part of the driven piece,and it is covered by the spring.

The spring seems superfluous, it doesn't do anything that i can see, other than maybe keep the tang engaged in the slot by keeping the driven piece from going too far forward.

The replacement drive, does not have the tang and slot, the wound piece of flat bar--the spring-- is what connects the two together both along the axis of the shaft,a nd also is the piece that physically causes the driven part of the bendix to rotate, as the two pieces the spring connects to are just round bushings with no interlock, almost like shaft collars without the tang and slot.

Which is the original Bendix design? Obviously someone felt the slot and tang was necessary on the one design vs having the spring do all the rotational driving.

If my description was confusing, i can take a pic.

Doug

Yes, take a photo so that we will know exactly what you are describing.

attached.

The one from the Filling Station is on the bottom.
Doug

I think the one on the bottom is correct. Really not a good picture to evaluate.

Well, the drive piece on the starter shaft has a tang, as pictured, or it is doesn't have a tang.
I don't see how I can give you better pic.
Doug

The Bendix drive on the bottom is not the OEM Bendix....it is the aftermarket replacement.

Is the top one OEM?

If so, I am curious why the wound coil even exists on the top one, as the coupling with its slot provides positive drive engagement.

The coil itself is the only force/motion transfer piece on the bottom one as it is the only thing connecting the shaft mounted piece to the rest of the Bendix..

Doug

Need a side view photo of the Bendix drive on the top.

Kind of fuzzy, but should be OK.
.

Each Bendix drive featured in your photo will work in your starter. Since both have the pinon return spring between the end of the drive and the pinon gear, they are later replacements. Both are actually better than the original Bendix drive which didn't use the pinon return spring.

Do you know if the original style has that tongue and groove coupling under the spring? Trying to figure out why one has it and one doesn't.

Thanks,
Doug

Now we need the count of teeth on each Bendix.

WAY ahead of you. But the answer is a secret. LOL

Doug

The original "style" had the tongue and groove coupling. Both types will work if the pinons have the correct number of teeth.

The coupling with the slot and one with the tab fit together but one is free to rotate. I think they help to keep the spring centered.