Starter just spins....no engagement 1950 8n Front mount

[usedcarguy]

Pulled the starter motor.....the pin at the end of the shaft is missing. Is this something I will have to go fishing for or is it ok to leave the loose pieces in the lower housing?

 

[Non-farmer]

Some folk have left far more in the housing without issues. I suspect just a retaining pin is unlikely to cause trouble, but I'd be interested to hear one or more of the gurus chime in on it.

 

[usedcarguy]

That is my line of thinking.....what in tarnation would cause a retaining pin to come loose? Is it a symptom of something else?

 

[wore out]

That is my line of thinking.....what in tarnation would cause a retaining pin to come loose? Is it a symptom of something else?

The pin didn't simply "come loose", it "escaped" from being partially tucked underneath a heavily spring-loaded washer that normally has to be pushed back to allow the pin to be installed or removed.

 

[soaked]

Agree with wore out.
Ring gear teeth are about 3/4 inch from the casting at the bottom where the cotter pin hole is.

My opinion is fetch the parts out if you can.

 

[usedcarguy]

That is not a pretty sight......SO.....I'll have to block the tractor up. Never done this before......mechanically inclined. How many hours of work and how many beers is this job going to be?

 

[usedcarguy]

Annnnddddd......Since I will split it....should I replace anything in there while I am at it?

 

[soaked]

This is what i use to fish with

Cow magnet with fence wire welded on.
Try with what you have first---- improvise--
Maybe you can retrieve the missing parts.

 

[Tall T]

Pulled the starter motor.....the pin at the end of the shaft is missing. Is this something I will have to go fishing for or is it ok to leave the loose pieces in the lower housing?

You might try a bendable rod with magnet attached and curve the end section to match the curvature of the flywheel so as to slip it under the ring gear. If your magnet is on wire it is going to want to keep sticking to the flywheel when you're trying to push it downward. If it's rigid you can force it to the bottom.

If there's a through hole anywhere near the ring gear, or a bolt hole, you could tie a strong magnet to the flywheel and slowly rotate it but make sure your magnet could never jam or come loose

If you just lost a pin and/or a washer, you could just leave it as others say.

Centrifugal force will always throw it outward from the flywheel anyway.
Seems to me you'd pretty much have to roll the tractor over to make pieces leave their resting place at the bottom.

 

[BradCNY]

Splitting my 8n two winters ago was a lot easier than I expected and it's been said it can be done in 30 minutes?
Question for the others, do you think if he just pulled steering box he could then get an arm and hand in there to feel around and retrieve anything?

 

[Eman85]

Annnnddddd......Since I will split it....should I replace anything in there while I am at it?

Annnnndddd the journey begins where it stops nobody knows. Transmission front seal is always good to replace on a 70+ yo tractor and the of course you'll be checking the front bearing. How's the clutch? Flywheel ring gear is probably worn.
For magnet fishing I have a store bought magnet on a flexible cable that's rigid enough to push it into places even with a strong magnet. That magnet on a piece of wire would just make me say a lot of bad words, especially when it got stuck and then when the wire broke off.

 

[Jim L WA]

If it's just the pin laying down there, I wouldn't worry about it.