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starter not engaging

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brock1

brock1

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ok so the 96 xp 787 that i picked up last night has a problem with the starter engaging...... at first when u hit the start button it would make like a whining grinding sound...so i removed it and all the teeth look fine but i thought just for the heck of it i would take the bendix off of another starter and put it on this one...so i did and i got it back together and set it on top of the engine to test it...when i hit start it will spin like crazy but the bendix will not fling out..... the shaft looks like it has a little vibration in it while its spinning so im thinking that maybe the shaft is slightly bent not allowing the bendix to engage properly ...is this a legitimate thought or am i wrong...and if so i have a bad starter laying around so can i frankenstine both together in some way to make it work ? thanks
 
if you turn the gear by hand, the bendix should come out fairly easily. the inertia of the gear staying still and the motor kicking on is what pushes the bendix out to engage the flywheel, rather than it being pushed out by a solenoid like on a car. if the shaft is bent for some reason it will keep the gear from being able to slide on the shaft. i once dealt with a 91 xp where the opposite happened, the bendix stuck in the extended position and it ate the brushes.
 
thats what i was thinking was going on...so i guess the next question is can i remove the shaft from the bad starter and put it on this one or is that not possible
 
sounds good other than spending the 300 bucks for it.... im pm'd 99 spxxx and he has a starter for a 720 so if all else fails ill just put that one on...i have done it before so it shouldnt be to hardd .....but id rather just fix this one and get on the water NOW
 
I understand, it was just a thought. I guess my point was if that was all it needed, worst case scenario you have to buy a new one, but you would still be ahead if you didn't pay his asking price. Looks like a clean ski.
 
yeah it was very clean...noone has a comment yet on whether or not i can remove the shaft from a bad starter and put it in this one...when i say bad starter i mean i removed it because it was weak
 
i'm not sure what it takes to get the shaft out of a starter. i haven't had the bendix off of one before. if the "bad" starter was weak, it probably means that it has a burned winding, which would mean you might trade one problem for another if you swap that winding and shaft to this starter. if the bendix shaft and winding shaft can be separated then you might be able to do it. take apart the weak starter first to see what you're dealing with.
 
ok ill mess wth it more tonight when i get home...if anyone else has done this before please chime in and share your experien=ce
 
im getting ready to tear into the starter just wondering if anyone knows if removing the shaft is possible or not ...DOC YOU OUT THERE LOL
 
The shaft is a PITA to get out of the starter. Most of the time when the bendix won't fling it 's because the starter is running backwards.
 
its spinning to the .........left....??????? so maybe you are correct ....how would i reverse the spin...ive never heard of that before
 
to reverse it without taking it apart... you'd have to hook the whole ski electrical up backwards, and it probably still wouldn't work (the engine ground from the battery attaches at the starter). you could, however get one spinning backwards by royally screwing up the timing of the brushes when installed. I think there are alignment grooves to prevent this, but i'm sure its possible to screw it up that bad if you try hard enough.

does the bendix move freely in & out on the shaft? like if you turn it one way, it stays in and the starter turns, then if you turn the other way the gear starts coming out and maybe the starter turns some.
 
Yeah if you have never had the starter apart then its not spinning backwards. The only way to get one to turn backwards is to turn part 10 in this picture 90 degrees.
 

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well..........maybe i just found my problem...LOL i took it apart to clean it then put it back together so maybe i did put it back on the wrong way...... i guess ill have to pull it back off and redo it
 
brock1 said:
well..........maybe i just found my problem...LOL i took it apart to clean it then put it back together so maybe i did put it back on the wrong way...... i guess ill have to pull it back off and redo it
Click to expand...

The mention to draw line on #10 to line everything back up.
I guess you missed that step?

I went the 99spxxx way. He sent me one that looked new for same as rebuild would cost.
 
yeah didnt catch that part LOL....i cant believe i forgot to do it...i have done lots before and it was like 102 degrees out that day and i wasnt thinking straight
 
even so if they are cheaper ....do you think that this specific model will fit my ski or no
 
I made the same mistake on my SPX. I actually took a 787 end cap, brush plate, part #10, and combined that with the front section of a 717 starter. Worked great once I got the housing in the correct alignment.
 
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