I've got a 57 F100, and when I picked up the rebuilt starter to put it back in I slipped the bendix into the engaged position. I can't figure out how to disengage it and move the gear away from the starter housing.

Having it in this position is making it tough to remount the starter, as the gear and flywheel engaging seems to shift it slightly out of line. Can anybody help me disengage it?

 

From what I can remember I used to put booster cables to the starter and battery and that would disengage it.

 

I'm pretty sure you can grab a hold of it and force it back into posistion by hand. Under operating conditions, the momentum of the engine spinning sends it back. There is a lock pin in there that drops into a detent and keeps it there while the enigine is still coming up to speed.

 

Booster cables didn't loosen it. Some pretty sparks though.

I can't move it back into position by hand - that's the problem. It's locked into what seems to be the engaged position and won't move back up the shaft.

I took a picture of it to confirm that it is in the engaged position, but now I can't find my card reader, so I'll post that eventually.

 

[QUOTE=hwoolsey;11251518] Booster cables didn't loosen it. Some pretty sparks though.
QUOTE]
Bummer! I`m going by memory that may not be too accurate. I was thinking that by a few quick bursts it should have repositioned it`s self.

 

By bumping the starter, that throws it out as it would to engage the fly wheel. It takes a bit to turn it back in by hand but it can be forced back.

 

I haven't been into an old starter in the last 45 years. I seem to remember
putting something like a piece of card board, like a match from a matchbook
up into the one spiral groove and getting it to ride up over the detent stop.
I then had to be very careful not to let the drive extend while handling
the starter. I may be way off as 45 years is a long time and the memory
is slipping.

 

Morris,hope you still offer that 1-year warranty for doling out bad advice.LOL!I've had to honor that warranty many times,myself.

 

I know.... too late smart and too early old!

 

Oh my. Does that mean once I get it on I'm going to be taking it off to get it fixed again?

I ordered a starter to flywheel housing seal to replace the crumbled one I took off, so I'm hoping that difference in position makes just enough of a change to get the bolts threaded.

As best I can tell, this starter drive pulls the gear into the flywheel to start, rather than pushing it out into it. Given the placement of the flywheel and the shape of the drive, I don't think there's enough clearance for it to work the other way around. Am I just way off base here?

 

Nope, you're right...that's how it works. You can read a little about the "folo-thru" starter in the shop manual or a Motors book. Mine was stuck too, Tried hooking it to a battery and moving by hand to no avail. The book says the flywheel kicks it out around 300 rpm. I'm sure it spun that fast on the battery, but if you just install it in the truck and fire it, it will work. I never liked this starter...it always seems to drag. The shop manual; says not to grease or oil it--just take the drive gear off and soak it in kerosene. The bell housing that John Mummert sells to adapt a C4 trans addresses this issue--its made to accept a later starter motor for an FE motor that engages from the front.

 

If I remember correctly I used to spin the starter drive with a wire wheel the direction the flywheel would spin it, so it would move back to its origional position.

Have A Nice Day------Hotwrench

 

I tried the wire wheel trick others suggested without success. What worked for me was to use a “dental pick” to reach into the spiral groove and push back the pin that was extended.

As soon as I did that the bendix retracted easily.

 

Those will work....I've done it......also can break off the tip of a pencil in the groove...