Inliners International Forums General Discussion MOPAR Flywheels and starters

I have an industrial flathead six, 217 C.I., engine #T121nnnnn, built in 1941 (in a Clark tug).

I installed the starter after a rebuild, and the starter doesn't mesh with the flywheel - it just spins. It's a manual (foot pedal type) bendix, so I know the starter gear is pushing out to the proper position.

It's one of two things:
1. All the flywheel ring gear teeth are worn so low, none will engage.

or

2. Wrong starter/flywheel combination.

It's a 10" clutch, and 9 teeth on the starter gear. I havn't counted the teeth on the ring gear yet, but it should be 146 teeth, right?

Before I buy parts and begin disassembly to replace the ring gear, has anyone ever seen this before? Can all the teeth on the ring gear be worn so much? Is it possible that the starter and flywheel don't match (flywheel too small)?

What's the correct height of the flywheel teeth on a new/good ring gear?

Thanks.....

Is the starter drive the same as the old one?

Did you have your old starter rebuilt or did you do an exchange for a rebuilt starter?

Did you change the flywheel?

I installed a Desoto fluid drive engine in my non fluid drive 1948 Plymouth. I used my Plymouth bell housng and flywheel. Due to the mating flange on the end of the crankshaft and the different bell housing I had to adjust (remove about 3/16th") the starter mating surface. I carefully measured this on the bench and did this prior to installing this combination in my car. This may be part of your problem but I do not know what combination of parts you used.

Dear Jeff;

You may have a starter with a "nose" piece that's different.
This would hold the drive unit back where it couldn't mesh.
Or a starter for a different application as M-48 suggests.

Try to get your core back & compare the two.

If it was starting okay before, the ring gear/flywheel isn't the problem.

Good luck.

I bought this thing as a non-runner, frozen engine so I have no idea what was "working" before. I did the starter rebuild. I actually have 2 starters to work with, both have same measurements.

Using a tape measure, I measured from the back of the flywheel teeth to the mating surface of the bellhousing for the starter. Measures 2".

Measuring from the mating surface of the starter (either one) to the fully extended pinion comes to 2" as well. So I'm getting full depth from the Bendix movement. It should be engaging!

So, my guess is still either worn teeth on the flywheel, or wrong diameter flywheel, which I've never heard of.

If the teeth were worn you would see it... they never wear all the way round, anyway, only where the engine stops on the compression strokes after shut down.

I'd be looking at the starter first.