7600 stater

[Fordfarmer]

Monday was one of those days when I should have stayed in bed. TW wouldn't start. 7600 wouldn't start. 7000 started, but manure spreader broke a PTO U-joint, with 90% of the load still on it. And then I got stuck besides. (good thing the 4600 started!)
Got the spreader taken care of yesterday, swapped the starter from the 5000 basket case to the 7600 today. Any of you ever see a starter fail like this? Appears to be a fresh, clean break. Nothing to indicate why it broke. No impact marks, except where the cone got caught between the flywheel and the bellhousing.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Photobucket is down for maintenance, so I uploaded the pictures here. Don't remember how to get more than one at a time from the galleries.
It was fun getting that piece out of there - getting caught had spread it, so it was wider than normal.

 

[Mark Slater]

The only time I saw a starter crack the bell like that was when we blew a crank and the flywheel hit it. Ended up tossing that engine.

Can't imagine what could do that without leaving marks.

Even if it was impacted with ice before you tried it, there should be some signs. Not like the ice would melt in these temps unless you pulled it in a warm barn to work on it.

Maybe it was just too cold for the metal and the starter had fatigued in that area. Metal gets brittle when it is very cold. Then maybe the slap of the gear coming out might pop it off. (totally guessing here)

 

[xfarma]

No, can't say as I've ever seen that happen before.

 

[Bern]

Were you using ether? That would be my guess, more specifically, a little bit too much of it.

 

[RodinNS]

Ain't that just sh!thouse luck that the cone didn't fall in...
I'd guess that the temperature swings contribute to some of these things. Been hell on starters and hydraulics freezing up here the last couple of weeks.

Rod

 

[RBnSC]

I'll ask You like I did when the Wife's Tahoe did the same thing. How hard did You turn the key?
Ron

 

[Fordfarmer]

No ether. Don't think I've -ever- used ether on this one - it has a (working) thermostart.

 

[showcrop]

Hey what a coincidence! Every time my manure spreader broke it was 90% full too!

 

[Fordfarmer]

The REAL fun part was getting the soupy stuff that
the fork couldn't get, the next day, after a night
of -25. 2 hours with a sledge, 5' bar, and 2 1/2#
hammer.

 

[Fordfarmer]

The cold weather could very well have played a part.
It had cranked over some, but not started before
this happened.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Hydraulics have been awful slow, but haven't had any frozen yet. This cold is hard on everything, mechanical or living. Looks like we'll at least be breaking 0 for the next several days.

 

[souNdguy]

bushing have any play in the front?

 

[Fordfarmer]

Hard to say at this point. The nose was caught between the flywheel and bellhousing pretty good - cracked the nose and slightly squashed the bushing. It won't fit back on the shaft.

 

[souNdguy]

ouch!

 

[gatcchelguy]

Here's my W A G. The fork in the starter got out of adjustment for whatever reason, allowing the gear to hit the end of the starter upon engagement. Repeated blows eventually blew the end off. The fork pivot screw is an eccentric and should be adjusted to prevent this. The shop manual tells how to do this.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Good theory, but no indication of impact on the inside of the nose. I'm chalking it up to age/fatigue (this was a used starter, I think from a 5000) and very cold weather.

 

[Fordfarmer]

Another view.

 

[Mark Slater]

Didn't realize the bellhousing hit the flywheel so hard. Be sure to double check the flywheel for missing teeth before you close it up. Don't want you to damage a replacement starter too.

 

[Bern]

If it was fatigue, I don't think it would be a clean break. I know that you say you didn't use ether, but this sure looks like it!

 

[xfarma]

Since you said it was a used starter maybe the tractor it came off of had an ether appetite?

 

[Fordfarmer]

possibly. but its been in my tractor for about 6
years.