I pulled out the T to take some fall photos today .. nice color, if I could get out during the brief patches of sun .. between the long periods of clouds and spurts of rain!. When getting out of the T the last time I accidently (momentarily) hit the starter button with my foot, while the leaver brake was on, and ignition off. When I got back in to start it .. the starter just went 'clunk', and that was it. I went to try to start it with the crank (it started right up the first time that way ...) and I can't move the crank a bit, clockwise. It feels very solid .. like it's 'jammed', more than 'stuck', if that makes sense.
I envision a broken crank or something .. but hope for something more benign, like stuck starter or something! As the fan and belt assembly is off, is it worth trying to turn the crank pull backwards just a bit, to see if something UN-jams? Pull starter? Other suggestions??
Thanks in advance,
Dennis
dennis---release your e-brake to full forward (high gear) and rock the car forward and back. Sounds like your bendix might be jammed against the ring gear or? Good luck---Paul
Yep ... I had tried that .. no go. Maybe didn't rock hard enough .. worth a shot again. At least we got it pushed back into the garage! :_)
I hope it's that. I've seen some posts here on the bendix (and associated warnings), so will look those up, should the rocking not help.
Thanks!
Loosen up the starter bolts a tad and try the rocking trick.
Neil
When that happened to me I had to remove the bendix to free it up. No amount of rocking in high would do it!
Well, on the good side ... no one's said to rebuild the engine. :-)
It did 'spin' once in a while, before I got it starting good .. and was 'cranking' with the starter more than couple seconds. Sounds like the starter & bendix might need a looksie, anyway.
Be sure to pull the back cover and Bendix off the back before you remove the four bolts holding the starter on. Damage to the magneto field coil will result otherwise. (Unless, of course, you don't have a field coil.)
It is all not too difficult. The worst part is that one lousy screw behind the Bendix cover.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
Be sure to pull the back cover and Bendix off the back before you remove the four bolts holding the starter on. Damage to the magneto field coil will result otherwise. (Unless, of course, you don't have a field coil.)
It is all not too difficult. The worst part is that one lousy screw behind the Bendix cover.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
Finally got time to spend on this .. wanted it to be at least starting when I put it in storage in a couple weeks for the winter! Yes ... I pulled the bendix cover off, and only loosened the starter bolts a few turns, then did the rocking trick with the brake/gear lever, all the way forward (trans in high). I heard a bit of a thud (not so much a 'pop') .... but the motor does turn freely by the crank now.
I'll tighten everything up and make sure it goes through a full couple rotations with the crank, before I try the starter. I'm trying to get in the habit of using the crank, anyway. :-)
I'll have to do some looking, to see if the bendix itself looks proper. Although I pulled the cover off ... I'm not sure what it's SUPPOSED to look like. :-)
Thanks to all for the help!
Dennis, if you have the time, start the car with the hand crank and after it gets to running temp, shut it off. Remove the bendix cover and inspect the teeth on the flywheel. Often when the starter jams it is caused by worn teeth which, causes binding. The engine will most times stop in the same place when shut down causing more wear in this spot. The cure is a new starter ring or just live with sometimes having to rock the car to un-stick the starter.