Starter Drive broken AGAIN

[Dave8N in Pa.]

What is the best place to buy starter drives and which style drive? I've been thru 4 drives,2 new improved style and 2 old style. 12v system 6v starter, 1947 8N. The 12v convertion has worked well except for starter drive. What should I do and where should I buy drives? I bought the 2 new style from this site but they only last a day or two. The 2 old style hang up on the sleave not the shaft. Take starter off tractor and turn it by hand one slot and put it back on tractor and it will work a few times and then hang up again. Am I wrong by using the 6v starter?

 

[Kurt-NEPA]

Something sounds really strange here Dave. I have a new style drive on both my 8N and 660. Both are 12 volt conversions. They have worked perfectly. The one my 8N has been in service for 3 years. The old style drives were kicking out too early for my taste.

How are the new style drives failing?

I got my drives from my favorite supplier in North Carolina. Email me if you need a link to them.

 

[Jim in Western MI]

Put the new style on my front-mount 8N in 1995 when I inherited the tractor (new brushes, etc, too). Worked fine ever since, starter has not even been touched in all this time. You have something else going on or mis-adjusted.

 

[agjim]

Check your flywheel gear, there may be a place somewhere that the teeth are bad causing the bendix to mess up. If that is not the case I would swap out the starter and see what happens. You can purchase a complete new starter (not rebuilt) with bendix for about $125. Let me know if you need one and I will get you an exact price.
Jim

 

[Bruce(VA)]

Well, a 12v conversion isn't going to do much for a bendix designed for the torque produced by a 6v starter. But, 4 drives going bad tells me you have another problem.

Ever since the first bendix went out on one of my N's, I've installed the new positive drive models. AFAIK, three of the four have the PD bendix. It works like this......the bendix engages the ring gear on the flywheel & turns the engine over. When the engine speed exceeds the design speed of the bendix (because the engine is running) it disengages. (and I can never remember what RPM that is) All the new style bendix does is allow a higher engine speed before it disengages.

This is a great concept. But here is the problem: according to the local rebuild shop, the life expectancy on the PD bendix is not that good. I found that out when the PD bendix went out on my least used (6v) N. The bendix only had 185 hours on it. I took the starter to the shop for them to check it out while I had it off & to get a new PD bendix. They all had a good time giving me grief about using the PD bendix instead of the OEM bendix (owning 3 N's, I'm on a first name basis w/ them!).

The good news is that they still have a source for the OEM bendix. One place is left in the country.

So, I'm back to an OEM bendix on one N & probably will be replacing the other two as they crap out in the next year or so.


These guys do 'mail order' work; give them a call to get a quote & shipping info.

If something in the starter is causing it to eat bendix gears, they can fix it. You could have a bent shaft, too much end play, bad bushings......just to name the likely suspects.

And, they also do carbs, brakes, generators, water pumps, clutches, etc.

Automotive Manufacturers Incorporated
2400 N Lombardy St
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 321-6861
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[Richard G.]

I would like to know the name of the supplier in NC.
Email me please.
Richard in NW SC

 

[Kurt-NEPA]

NC Supplier

Hi Richard, Your email is not open. Email me and I'll send you a link.

Kurt

 

[Anonymous-0]

It's open on classic view..

 

[elmersooner]

sounds like the drives aren't the problem. bent shaft. bad bushing, ring gear issue more likely.

 

[Dave8N in Pa]

No damage to the teeth on drive or the ring. The new style have both broken internally. The orignal drive flew apart. I replaced it with another old style drive. It worked a few times and then it wouldn't engage. Took it off and it was stuck so I turned to the next slot and it worked a few times. About once a day I had to take it off and turn it. So I took it back to my local farm store and they replaced it. The new one did the same thing. Next,I bought the new style drive on this site. It broke internally the first day. This site sent me a replacement and it lasted about 2 days. Now it's easy blame the manufacturers in the beginning,but I'm not so fast to pass the buck now that I've gone thru 4 drives.However, If the drive is stationary on the shaft and their is no damage to the teeth I don't think it would be the starter shaft. I'm going to call Bruces supplier in the morning and order a new one. I would like to blame the parts but 4 in a row is hard to believe.

 

[Dell (WA)]

uh? Richard.........ittza kinda hard to email someone when you don't click on the email option and provide the email addy info. Yesterdays Tractors email forwarding scheme is kinda clunky but is secure. ........respectfully, Dell

 

[Bruce(VA)]

" If the drive is stationary on the shaft and their is no damage to the teeth I don't think it would be the starter shaft. "

A bent shaft, too much end play in the shaft or bad bushing will cause it to eat bendix gears.

Ask the folks at Automotive Manufactures when you call tomorrow for other likely causes.
50 Tips

 

[duey]

I never had any starter drive failures.. but on my 12 volt upgrade, I used a #4 cable about 5 feet long to supply the starter. I believe it provided a bit softer 'hit' during engagement. Doing that does not compromise any other function of the 12 volt set up.

I figure if the starter cable was 20 feet long, the starter wouldn't do much except motor a bit. Cable losses at high amperages are SIGNIFICANT.

Your call....

 

[Ultradog MN]

Got a loader tractor lined up up there yet?
Or a 3 point tractor I can use my boom pole on?
I will have my trailer back on the road in about a week here. It's getting new axles, wheels and tires under it and will soon be ready for a test run.

 

[duey]

Yes, by golly! A classmate within a half mile has a loader tractor and would do that. He's not around every weekend though, we'll have to coordinate!

duey

 

[ericlb]

you need to replace the whole starter, this post is a mirror of what happened to me 2 years ago with my jubilee, i went thru 3 of the drives, still have the last one, but there was evidently something wrong with the starter shaft itself, once i bit and replaced that, its never failed once, im betting you have the same issue, i never did figure out what was wrong, but obviously it was something with the starter itself

 

[36 Coupe]

When you put 12v on a 6v starter it hits the ring gear at twice the usual speed.You will break drives.I wont work on 6v starters that are used on 12v conversions.When the drive breaks owners blame me.You need different brushes on these 12v conversions.The 12 volters never mention chewed up flywheel teeth,slipping ring gears and broken starter drives.