Starter not engaging

[bmohan55]

This morning my starter (S3) would spin but not engage. I've had this problem before, both times after I've been puddle jumping and forgot to put the flywheel plug in. Could that be related? Didn't have time to fool with it too much as I had to get to work. I tried tapping the starter with a hammer/screwdriver but no luck. Any suggestions?

[sven]

Same thing happened on mine. You have to pull the starter out and clean/lubricate the bendix with graphite. The bendix is the little gear that gets "thrown" out when you start.

[bmohan55]

thanks, hoping it was something inexpensive! Looks pretty straght forward, is it?

[sven]

Yup, unbolt the battery cable form the starter, and remove the 2 starter bolts. Make sure you unplug the battery too beforehand. Once out, you see the gear and spring that have to be cleaned and lubed.

[1961 109 WAGON]

mine does the same thing on my 1966 88 every time the temp. gets below 20 degress for the first startup, after that its okay til the next morning.

[bmohan55]

Great, thanks guys!

this is why I didn't hesitate on buying this truck despite my limited mechanical experiance..simple vechicle and wealth of support!

[thixon]

Forget all that lube mess, just use the hand crank!

[bmohan55]

Got a chance to look at it over lunch, and read my 1962 Green Bible, it appears that I have to take off both exhust and intake manifold?

[sven]

Got a chance to look at it over lunch, and read my 1962 Green Bible, it appears that I have to take off both exhust and intake manifold?

No that's not necessary. It might make it easier to get to things but I didnt do that. I have a SIII like yours. You MIGHT have to drop the exhaust downpipe, but thats about it.

[bmohan55]

great, thanks

[yorker]

I had a bout with bad starters for a while and probably removed and refitted them 25-times, you definetely don't need to remove the exhaust or the down pipe, you neet to turn the steering to give you some more room and then wiggle things around in a certain sequence- kind of like a chinese puzzle. It is easier with the later starters too.

[Terrys]

Depending on whether you are a procrastinator or not, you may want to consider a new real main seal at some point. This is the origin of the starer problem. Oil leaking by the seal is flung around the bellhousing by the flywheel. The oil that hits the starter shaft congeals when the temp drops, making the bendix drag. I would pull the starter once, maybe twice in winter and clean it off, and in between times, would use the crank. I did this for 7 winters.
Somone mentioned graphite. That works great as long as there is no chance of oil also. Oil and graphite make an especially thick goo, eliminating any chance the bendix will move.

[KevinNY]

mine does the same thing on my 1966 88 every time the temp. gets below 20 degress for the first startup, after that its okay til the next morning.

Mine does the same but I suspect it is from doing a lot of deep water crossings. Once it warms up I'll pull it and clean it again.

[Jeff Aronson]

Bob,

If you have the usual Series III starter, you should not have to move the exhaust or header pipe. The later starter is shorter and you can remove it by unscrewing the nuts that hold it tight. I've done it in the ferry terminal parking lot.

Remember that there is a ground wire that runs from the starter to the frame. That needs to be removed, also, before you remove it to clean it up.

BTW, my Corvair's starter does this ALL the time when the temperature drops below 20 F. It takes several turns of the key to get it to engage rather than just whirr. Once it warms up, the problem goes away. Given all the snow and its parking spot right beside a cove, I often wonder about moisture freezing up in there, too.

Jeff

[bmohan55]

Ok, got the job done but for the life of me I couldn't get the starter out without removing the intake/exhust manifold! Next time I see another SIII first thing I'm going to do is climb under it and look at the starter to see if it is different that the one I became intimately involved with. Ofcourse I broke off 2 of the 3 studs on the down pipe...fortunately I have access to a shop, and helpful co-workers. That was the first real wrenching I've done in about 25 years, after it was all over gotta say it felt pretty good.

[Jeff Aronson]

When I installed new studs in the exhaust manifold, I used brass screws so that they could be tightened/removed with less chance of corrosion.

However much you feel like cursing when you frig around on a Rover [and I do] the end result always feel good.

Jeff

[yorker]

Ok, got the job done but for the life of me I couldn't get the starter out without removing the intake/exhust manifold! .

it is like a chinese puzzle you go this way, then a little that way, then invert it and viola it drops right out. Difficult to explain and every time I do it now I have to re-figure out how I do it. :D

[Moose]

Cranking your steering wheel all the way to the left moves the arm on the steering box out of the way and you should have enough room to get the starter out without having to muck with the exhaust. Series 3 starters are a bit smaller so are easier to remove, but I have had the larger 2A starts come out using this method too with zero grief. But as Yorker says, you need to point it this way, then that way, a bit of a tilt and out it comes.

Brett

[Donnie]

When I installed new studs in the exhaust manifold, I used brass screws so that they could be tightened/removed with less chance of corrosion.

However much you feel like cursing when you frig around on a Rover [and I do] the end result always feel good.

Jeff
You have brass screws or big brass nuts? couldn't resist. I also learn new words while removing starters, some will come out others will not.........You can even make up new words, to no avail.........

[Jeff Aronson]

LOL - good for you, Donnie :) Brass nuts, of course.

Learning new vocabulary is good for the mind!

Jeff