Starter not engaging

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  • bmohan55
    4th Gear
    • Sep 2008
    • 435

    Starter not engaging

    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?
    04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
    '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky
  • sven
    1st Gear
    • Dec 2006
    • 174

    #2
    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.
    99 D1
    73 Series III 88"
    95 RRC LWB

    Comment

    • bmohan55
      4th Gear
      • Sep 2008
      • 435

      #3
      thanks, hoping it was something inexpensive! Looks pretty straght forward, is it?
      04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
      '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky

      Comment

      • sven
        1st Gear
        • Dec 2006
        • 174

        #4
        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.
        99 D1
        73 Series III 88"
        95 RRC LWB

        Comment

        • 1961 109 WAGON
          2nd Gear
          • Dec 2006
          • 227

          #5
          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.

          Comment

          • bmohan55
            4th Gear
            • Sep 2008
            • 435

            #6
            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!
            04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
            '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky

            Comment

            • thixon
              5th Gear
              • Jul 2007
              • 909

              #7
              Forget all that lube mess, just use the hand crank!
              Travis
              '66 IIa 88

              Comment

              • bmohan55
                4th Gear
                • Sep 2008
                • 435

                #8
                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?
                04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
                '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky

                Comment

                • sven
                  1st Gear
                  • Dec 2006
                  • 174

                  #9
                  Originally posted by 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?
                  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.
                  99 D1
                  73 Series III 88"
                  95 RRC LWB

                  Comment

                  • bmohan55
                    4th Gear
                    • Sep 2008
                    • 435

                    #10
                    great, thanks
                    04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
                    '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky

                    Comment

                    • yorker
                      Overdrive
                      • Nov 2006
                      • 1635

                      #11
                      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.
                      1965 SIIa 88",1975 Ex-MOD 109/Ambulance, 1989 RRC, blah, blah, blah...

                      Land Rover UK Forums

                      Comment

                      • Terrys
                        Overdrive
                        • May 2007
                        • 1382

                        #12
                        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.

                        Comment

                        • KevinNY
                          4th Gear
                          • Oct 2006
                          • 484

                          #13
                          Originally posted by 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.
                          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.
                          The Goat, 2.8 Daihatsu Td, '73 coil conversion

                          Comment

                          • Jeff Aronson
                            Moderator
                            • Oct 2006
                            • 569

                            #14
                            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
                            Jeff Aronson
                            Vinalhaven, ME 04863
                            '66 Series II-A SW 88"
                            '66 Series II-A HT 88"
                            '80 Triumph TR-7 Spider
                            '80 Triumph Spitfire
                            '66 Corvair Monza Coupe
                            http://www.landroverwriter.com

                            Comment

                            • bmohan55
                              4th Gear
                              • Sep 2008
                              • 435

                              #15
                              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.
                              04 Disco, Gone-Disco died & so did mine
                              '72 S3 88 - Leakey & Squeaky

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