[mrennie]

So I changed the oil & filter after 100 miles on my new engine. No drama yet, cut the filter open and just a few metal slivers and no bearing material (yay!!). Still plan to cut and stretch the filter pleats for a closer look, as well as inspect the bottom of the drain pan.

So with my typical bad luck, I try to restart the engine and as soon as it fires up I hear a screeching sound and shut it down right away. Go poking around underneath and find the starter gear still engaged with the flywheel. Just great...was planning short trip this weekend. At least it happened over the pit in the garage and not in a parking lot.

Take the starter out and find the starter gear just flops around. I can pull it out or push it back in, not sure what is going on, The unit is a RobbMC with pinion support, bought back in 2011. Was shimmed to spec according to instructions.

I have sent Robb an email asking if there is some way to fix this myself or if it needs to go back.

Anyone seen this before?

[Dragncar]

Have them send you a new starter drive.

[Schurkey]

Those are Ford starters with a custom nose...right?

Repair parts are probably as close as the local parts store.

[mrennie]

Not sure if it uses Ford parts but it is not actually broken.

Robb is a stand up guy. Responded to my email late last night and advised the gear was not attached correctly, and if I sent it back he would repair and cover shipping back to me. Considering I bought it 13 years ago, even though it has barely any use, that is decent, most vendors would hide behind warranty timelines.

He also explained how I can repair it myself and sounds very straightforward so will give that a try.

Will update on my success later.

[mrennie]

Got the starter fixed last weekend, was actually very easy.

Only snag was that the design requires both red loctite on the splines between the gear and motor shaft, as well as a 3/32" brass ball driven into a hole in the gear that lines up with a groove in the shaft. The loctite does most of the work and the ball is a secondary retention.

Problem: No 3/32" brass balls in Cochrane, ON, population 5,500. They are available on Amazon or eBay, very reasonably priced at $10-20 for 50-100 balls, but I needed just one...and wanted it now!

Having a lathe is a wonderful thing in times like these. I found a piece of 1/8" brass rod, mounted it in a collet and turned a section down to .094". Then I rounded the end, and cut a short piece off to make a pin.

Applied loctite to the shaft, slid the gear against the shoulder, drove the brass "pin" into place, and reassembled the mounting block and nose.

Starter works great, back in business!

[steve25]

Nice job fixing it with what you had on hand , but that set up does not leave me confident that it will not fail again on you.

I would be very tempted to dril right through both of those and drive a roll pin in, or at least have a dril bit and pin on hand if it does go south on you again.

[Formulajones]

Dad had the same thing happen to his robbmc starter. Good thing you had the nose support that kept the gear in place, otherwise that thing comes shooting outta there like a bullet.

Pretty easy fix though. For the record it's a Mitsubishi starter and solenoids are available at the local parts stores, if ya ever need one.

[steve25]

Great point above, and if the solenoids are not crazy expensive I would have one on hand.