starter gear sheared .
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
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From: Denver Metro Area, CO
This is most likely the result of a dirty/defective/malfunctioning Bendix system.
From the Wikipedia entry:
Starter motor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From the Wikipedia entry:
The Bendix system places the starter drive pinion on a helically-cut driveshaft. When the starter motor begins turning, the inertia of the drive pinion assembly causes it to ride forward on the helix and thus engage with the ring gear. When the engine starts, backdrive from the ring gear causes the drive pinion to exceed the rotative speed of the starter, at which point the drive pinion is forced back down the helical shaft and thus out of mesh with the ring gear.
