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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - New starter issue

I got a new M35G starter from Leacy Classics recently for the 1275 Frog and it worked fine until yesterday when it spun but would not engage (no grinding noises). Battery and cables, including engine earth strap, all good. So I removed it earlier and it seemed free, spun right up on jump leads from the V70. However, there were filings around the starter's opening in the engine plate. The pinion teeth have chewed up a bit, presumably on the ring but that itself doesn't seem too bad.

Anyway I cleaned up the bendix with brake cleaner and dried it carefully - no lubrication of course. Put it back on, engine started right up repetitively with starter sounding normal. I'm guessing some filings may have got stuck in the bendix and fell away when I removed the starter.

So, is the starter a Chinese copy made from plasticine or do I likely have a worn ring gear?



Bill Bretherton

Ring gears are pretty robust and even worn ones go on working perfectly well for ages. I wouldn't worry about that.

My guess is the filings were from machining during manufacture in a Chinese shed somewhere, and not cleaned out on assembly. They had worked their way into the Bendix spiral enough to make it stick a bit, but should be good now you have cleaned it out.
GuyW

Thanks Guy, that's reassuring. But what about the fact that the pinion teeth are already chewed up a bit - is that to be expected?
Bill Bretherton

Bill
If you feel like you want to lube your bendix, I give them a good drowning spray with silicone lube and it dries right off, 'nothing' will stick to the silicone and the bendix works great
By the way , how many teeth on that bendix of yours, there doesn't look to be many

willy
William Revit

Willy, thanks. 9 tooth pinion. AIUI both 9 and 10 are ok.
Bill Bretherton

I'm with Willie and Guy - I wouldn't worry too much the ring gear or the attrition on the bendix, as annoying as it is.
I differ from Willie only insofar as I favour PTFE spray over silicone.
The metal debris, as Guy said, is as likely to be from bad QA practice as anything.
I've learned the hard way to strip and clean brand new Chinese made hydraulic manifolds to get the machining swarf out before it goes into the valve gear.
Greybeard

GT85 Spray has PTFE. - https://gt85.co.uk/gt85-original/

Like so many others it used to be a UK company now swallowed up the WD-40 Company.

Willy,
you might like it, I used to use it on my pushbikes (all with full mudguards and certainly no lycra wearing) when LPS sprays were no longer available.
Nigel Atkins

All good Bill and yep 9 or 10 are both ok
My preference is 10 but then our temps are a bit warmer I guess so easier to spin over.
It's just that I looked and looked at your pic and convinced myself your bendix had 8 teeth, must be just the angle of the pic
Cheers
William Revit

This thread was discussed between 01/04/2021 and 02/04/2021

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