Help Needed Starter Gear Alignment

[drewbrese]

The Caterham that I recently became the owner of has an issue where the starter pinion gear doesn't mesh well with the ring gear and the car won't start.

 

Currently when the starter engages it doesn't spin the ring gear, it looks like it just stripped the outer part of the ring gear teeth. It looks like the center of the pinion gear needs to shift closer to the center of the ring gear.

 

Pinion gear is 9 teeth, 110 tooth flywheel.

 

Any advice on how to fix this?

[Dave W]

"Doesn't mesh" just might be an understatement!

 

Unless you can get a new ring gear for the flywheel, I see a new flywheel in the future. You should be able to get the starter pinion gear.

 

The only way to get the correct teeth engage is grinding clearance and rotating the starter so you get full engagement.

 

Is it possible that you have the wrong starter with a smaller pinion gear? One that has 9 teeth Vs, 10 teeth or a smaller spec. Dia flywheel ?

 

I've seen different size flywheels on the same engine type, one for a FWD or a different one for a RWD.

 

Dave W

[bsimon]

Drew,

 

I see hints of a Kent block engine in your car. If so, check out this thread on starter/ring gear issues.

 

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?45048-Kent-Flywheel-ring-gear-starter-headache

[drewbrese]

Ended up solving this problem a while back by machining the mounting plate so that I could move the pinion gear into a better position with the ring gear.