Custom/Hybrid Starter to bendix engagement.

[hink320]

I’m trying to help a guy get his ski running so I can help tune the thing but he’s been having a lot of starter/bendix issues and before his last of each get trashed I’m trying to go over everything. His bendix bushing seems fine, but how much play is normal? You can wobble the bendix slightly, but it seems normal compared to every other bendix I have installed.

I took a pic of the starter that just got trashed before I removed it because there seemed to be a bigger gap between the starter body and the cases than I’ve ever seen before, but the bolts were both tight and the mounting ears on the starter were tight against the ears on the cases.

It seems like this gap wouldn’t allow for full engagement of the starter gear to the bendix. The starter in the pic has the thrust billet back cap, has anyone had issues with those? He has one more starter that we’re going to try tomorrow, I installed it last night and there is a smaller gap than the starter we just removed, but when looking at the gap on my starter and his other ski, there is barely, if any gap. He’s wanting to grind the ears on the starter to allow it to move closer to the cases to close up that gap and engage the bendix deeper. I’ve never heard of anyone else having an issue like this before. If anyone has some suggestions or insight, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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[SteveC]

I think I’ve seen folks talk about 62T and 61X starters... implying there was a different starter for each case. I clearly could be wrong... worth a check, though, since that could/would be an explanation.

 

[eastcoastjumper]

I’m trying to help a guy get his ski running so I can help tune the thing but he’s been having a lot of starter/bendix issues and before his last of each get trashed I’m trying to go over everything. His bendix bushing seems fine, but how much play is normal? You can wobble the bendix slightly, but it seems normal compared to every other bendix I have installed.

I took a pic of the starter that just got trashed before I removed it because there seemed to be a bigger gap between the starter body and the cases than I’ve ever seen before, but the bolts were both tight and the mounting ears on the starter were tight against the ears on the cases.

It seems like this gap wouldn’t allow for full engagement of the starter gear to the bendix. The starter in the pic has the thrust billet back cap, has anyone had issues with those? He has one more starter that we’re going to try tomorrow, I installed it last night and there is a smaller gap than the starter we just removed, but when looking at the gap on my starter and his other ski, there is barely, if any gap. He’s wanting to grind the ears on the starter to allow it to move closer to the cases to close up that gap and engage the bendix deeper. I’ve never heard of anyone else having an issue like this before. If anyone has some suggestions or insight, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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I had an issue with a set of cases when using the thrust starter end. The starter wouldn't sit straight due to one of the long 6mm bolts hitting the case. Check to see if thats your issue. I simply grinded the case tab and it straightened right out

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[augustaf]

To the op: a 3 mm gap is normal when using a "normal" starter motor.

 

[Harbor]

I bought one of those billet back caped starters too, Brian said they were machined wrong and you need to grind the case to get it to sit square like eastcostjumper said....

I've not used mine yet but I trial fit it and noticed that same large gap, I'll have to check engaugment depth like you mentioned... thanks

Eastcoastjumper does yours have the gap too? Does your starter work ok, no issues other than grind that ear ?
Btw I bought a thrust billet back capped non SJ OE starter he's modding to fit the SJ case with those billet back caps.. thanks

Hink, he's not having kick back is he ? . Mine had kick back and a mis installed compression oring and it stripped the starter teeth and bendix starter teeth on an OE starter

 

[Harbor]

Thinking further, my gen 2 billet cases have the pocket that the bendix sits in machined .100 to tall. This moves the bendix away from the starter .100 and engaugement between the 2 is still not an issue, so there is some room on a normal OE set up.

In my case it may be a big issue if the starter is actually moved back even further due to that back cover or the different part number starter that's been used in my case..

 

[hink320]

He has a few issues at once, so it's hard to tell exactly what it's doing as far as kick back. We put in a new bendix the other day because it was making a horrible rattling noise, sounded great for the first few starts. Went and rode the ski, while warming it up it bogged hard and started running like absolute garbage, wouldn't barely go above idle, so I had to drag in behind it and while doing that it felt like it back fired or something a couple times. It violently kicked, to the point where I felt the whole ski kind of twist under me and it stalled. Got it started and it did that again, so I just swam it in. Tried getting it started out of the water and it was making a horrible rattling noise and you could hear the starter stripping again, so we tore it apart again.

 

[Quinc]

-Make sure you have a washer on each side of the spring in the flywheel cover.
-Backfiring/kick back can be caused by timing issues. Are you running TL? Did the stator move?
-Is it a kawa starter? They are the same but the back covers are different.
-Make sure the ring clip at the tip of the bendix (part that goes toward flywheel) is tight and the shaft can slide over it with ease.
-Open the bendix by hand and verify the ears on the weight holder are all there. (should be 6 of them total, two between each weight.
-Throw it in the trash and take up kite surfing.

 

[hink320]

Just found this when trying to bolt up the new starter:

I’m going to grind the ear on the starter a bit for clearance because I don’t feel like pulling the motor out or the exhaust manifold off.


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[hink320]

Thanks for all the help guys! I never would have thought to look that an ear on the starter was hitting the cases, I've never experienced that before in all the starters I've installed over the years. Got it installed and it seems perfect after multiple starts. Also found the running problem, now that I got it running lol. One of the plastic fuel filters was cracked and sucking a lot of air in. She runs like a top now, I'm going to get to try out a 50cal for the first time tonight

 

[JetManiac]

Just found this when trying to bolt up the new starter:

I’m going to grind the ear on the starter a bit for clearance because I don’t feel like pulling the motor out or the exhaust manifold off.
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That is not an oem starter, so not surprised the fit could be off.

 

[hink320]

That is not an oem starter, so not surprised the fit could be off.

Ya, it's the only good one he had left. The starter he just tried with the thrust billet cap was a brand new OEM starter with the billet cap. I'm sure if he had been told the caps were machined wrong he could have done something then and saved himself from wrecking a brand new mitsuba starter. It's working great now tho, just rode it and started it multiple times and it's working perfect.

 

[newbee]

A little off topic but. What os the reason for the billet cap?

 

[jo5hi3]

A little off topic but. What os the reason for the billet cap?

Because billet all the things!!

 

[DAG]