TD42 starter issues - intermittent fault

[rumpig89]

my starter has started playing up since the weekend. When i turn the key the starter motor runs and sounds a bit like the gears aren't meshing properly somewhere (doesnt sound good).

I pulled it out and bench tested it and havent been able to fault it. I put it back in and tried it and it worked 100% 5 times in a row. I then double checked all the bolts/connections were tight and tried it again and it now plays up again like before. If i try it 5 or six times it sometimes starts normally for one of these.. other times no luck at all.

-i thought it may be the one way gear (clutch) thing but i couldnt fault it. -Solenoid is fine (switches motor contacts 100% of time and pushed cog out every time i bench tested)

any ideas where to look next or how i can test that clutch better then tryin to spin with my hand?

cheers

[ledgend80]

you havent stripped your ring gear, did you look at your ring gear teeth when you had the starter out. one thing i seen an auto lec shop do when testing a starter for me was they put the starter in the vice got some one to put some jump leads onto it then the other guy got a bit of 4x2 and tried to stop the starter from spinging. you could try that.

[-Scott-]

First guess is the clutch dohickey - I had a similar problem a few years ago - but that doesn't explain the "gears aren't meshing properly" sound.

That could be the throw-out mechanism isn't throwing out properly, which means it's either a little stiff, or the starter doesn't have enough torque (at initial spin-up) to throw it all the way out to engage the flywheel properly.

[rumpig89]

i will try that vice trick shortly. just pulled it out again.

when i power just the solenoid the cog comes out but there isnt much force there - i can stop in with slight pressure from my finger! Is this normal (just because there the earth of solenoid is going through the motor which isnt energised at the time?)

I have also measured the distance between 'cog pulled out by fingers' and 'cog pulled out by solenoid' and it was just over 2mm. The book says 0.3-1.5mm so i spaced solenoid out a touch more - in case it was the main drive gear not meshing with flywheel properly. Was no noticable damage on it tho.

i will set it up in vice to test that clutch before i put it back. Have not faulted it once off the vehicle yet.

[wonkywoes]

my starter has started playing up since the weekend. When i turn the key the starter motor runs and sounds a bit like the gears aren't meshing properly somewhere (doesnt sound good).

I pulled it out and bench tested it and havent been able to fault it. I put it back in and tried it and it worked 100% 5 times in a row. I then double checked all the bolts/connections were tight and tried it again and it now plays up again like before. If i try it 5 or six times it sometimes starts normally for one of these.. other times no luck at all.

-i thought it may be the one way gear (clutch) thing but i couldnt fault it. -Solenoid is fine (switches motor contacts 100% of time and pushed cog out every time i bench tested)

any ideas where to look next or how i can test that clutch better then tryin to spin with my hand?

cheers