Starter alignment problems - 930 transaxle

[BigB98]

Hey, the engine starts, but you know not all can go perfectly.

Engine running: YouTube - GT MKIV running with open headers

The starter action just wasn't sounding right. I thought the starter gear wasn't extending all the way in to the ring gear at times, but....It appears that it was doing that part ok, but boy did it do a number on the ring gear. Looks like the starter gear is just too far away from the ring gear as it was just shredding the tops of the teeth.

So, how the heck do you align these things? It's a kennedy engineering flywheel/gear and an IMI Hi Torque starter.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Chris Duncan]

I had to slot one of the mount holes and move the starter in on mine.

Have a '93 G50 trans adapted to the pre-'89 flywheel and clutch parts so I could run the mini starter.

First put a little bushing or something to hold the starter gear in the full out engaged position, this is so you can do a static setup.

Then you bolt up the starter, you tighten the bolts as tight as possible and still be able to move the starter, then you move it in until you feel the gear bottom out. then you back it off about .010", just a little bit. Then scribe the starter mount plate or the bell housing so you will know exactly where it should be.

Remove the bushing and re-install.

It's also possible you have the wrong tooth starter/flywheel combo, believe they come in different count teeth. That's more what your case sounds like cuz mine wasn't that far off to be loose enough to cause rapid damage.

 

[BigB98]

Thanks for the feedback! I like your idea for adjustment.

I too thought about the number of teeth, but just figured that starter for 930 = right number of teeth, but...Maybe not.

 

[Tim Kay]

Sounds very similar to a nightmare I had with my g50\tilton custom flywheel\hi-torque starter (mounted on the trans side).

Symptoms: ring gear damage on tops of teeth, starter not engaging each and every time. Sometimes engagement would be first attempt, other times it took 3 - 5 tries before the starter would engage with the ring gear.

In speaking with Kennedy at one point I discovered they had an issue wherein they ordered specially chamfered pinion gears from hi-torque.

In short after checking alignment and tooth count, my remedy was to chamfer each tooth on the pinion gear of the starter. I had chamfers on one side but evidently not the correct side or at least by doing so it corrected 90% of the problem. Currently I still hear an odd noise each start but never a mis-engagement. Hope this helps.

 

[TERRY SPEEDWELL]

I had a similar problem on a G50,
My starter was to close to the ring gear, which stopped the starting gear fully extending, A small sideways adjustment solve it.

 

[Chris Duncan]

Thanks for the feedback! I like your idea for adjustment.

I too thought about the number of teeth, but just figured that starter for 930 = right number of teeth, but...Maybe not.

the only problem with slotting the holes is that if someone else works on it that doesn't know the starter has to be located, well you get the picture.

If you ever sell the car it's just one of those things that should be noted.

If I recall correctly when I did it on mine it was on the stand so I could see the engagement from the backside, either that or I used a piece of paper placed at the engagement point to set it up.