Flywheel

[chevyguy]

Starter, Ignition, Ring Gear -- rusty case & bendix

Starter issues all over. Last year -- starter was draining battery, couldn't turn it over. Possible bad plugs, bad starter too.

Replaced with new starter (eBay) - last August. This year, finally get her out (93 spx) only to have no luck starting. Starter spins/wines but does not engage flywheel. Battery is fine. Pulled starter. Bendix and entire front assembly of starter is seized & rusted. The old one was similar before I replaced it (I thought it was just old-- looks like I have another problem.

I looked into the hole where the starter goes and I can see the ring gear and teeth-- moist, rusty. So I take off the casing and nasty rusty orange water/slime comes out. Entire thing is rusted inside.

What could cause this?

I'm cleaning everything up right now and making sure starter spins freely, but I don't want to have to go through this again. Is the magneto case supposed to get wet inside? There was a water rust stain to about 2 cm up on inside of case (easily visible on ignition housing cover).

What gives? Thanks

 

[timmyboy76]

that area should be dry. If you have the oem starter, try opening it, and fixing that one, or take to starter/alternator shop, by far, they're the best. Starters from ewbay, are no good. Should tell ya, when they're only 50-70 buks, vs. 200-250 for oem ones., but clean up, then while there, inspect the seal, its possible, that its bad, allow'n oil to seep in, along with the o-ring around the mag housing itself. Replace it, and inspect the groove for it..

 

[chevyguy]

Thanks for the quick reply.

When I took out all the screws, the very bottom-most one was sheered off (still sticking out on bottom once I removed the cover. I was trying to twist it out but seems stuck.

Are there supposed to be two gaskets? There's a rubber one still on the housing that looks good, but it seems like there is some rubber/residue (black) on the cover.

Can I just use some blue RTV silicone and seal it all back up?
(That big seal is probably pricey if I payed 3dollars for a jet pump oil change oring.

How might the inside have gotten wet?

Cheers

 

[timmyboy76]

if the bottom one was "sheared", then water from inside hull, made its way thru that opening. If you pry the oring out, just clean/scratch the calcium off it, then grease ur up, should be ok, and for silicone, you can, wouldnt hurt.