41 starter issues

[old ford guy]

41 p/u converted to 12 volt, starter after less than a month does not engage fly wheel or breaks gears. 6 volt starter finally changed to 12 volt starter with new bendex. same thing. Whe this happens I turn fan by hand one way ok other locked, usually it will free up. Ideas. thanks

[Kahuna]

Got to be the Bendix or the ring gear causing some issue.
Is starter tight? Is the front support tab in place?

[Ed Pitts]

Take the starter out and rotate the engine to see if the ring gear has become displaced from the flywheel. Using a 6 volt starter with 12 volts can damage the ring gear teeth as well as knock it away from the flywheel. Ed

[old ford guy]

Ths. to both for ideas, after 4 bendix changes it has to be something else. old ford guy

[FlatheadTed]

Likely its the ring gear rubbing on the inside of the pan like Ed says ,rotate it and hammer it on and weld through the starter hole, you need a cast iron arc Rod ,Ted

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

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Asked this question while ago, no answer, a friend had his 41 starter rebuilt awhile ago at a place that does starters and gen, they installed one of those foreign starter drives, the drive when capp, question, where can I get a made in usa starter drive. Thanks Walt

[1937pickup]

Walt, Try Little Dearborn in Mpls or Mac VanPelt.

[GEOFFNZ]

Is the stabilizing bracket on the rear of the starter in place.Sometimes the starter mount in the pan can be bent out of line with rough treatment on the floor or in transit if the starter is still mounted.Seriously upsets the mesh of the pinion. Geoff

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Go to Mac Van Pelt for your starter drive. US made . I got one off him for that reason.

GB

[old ford guy]

ok, bought 12 volt starter and attached front bracket, same thing. will not engage. what about cranking power ? my battery is cold 575 and above 32 degrees 460. noticed 50 conv. I have is 575 cold and 715 above 32. both flatheads converted to 12 volt. 50 is a qiuck starter while 41 requires more cranking. Thanks for any ideas. old ford guy

[Kurt in NJ]

Do you have a voltmeter?

if you do can you measure battery voltage at the posts---read voltage, then crank engine, read voltage again, then hook voltmeter to cable stud at starter, other end to batt terminal ---should be less than 1/2 volt cranking, if more there is a bad connection----test ground same way, starter mounting bolt to ground battery terminal, crank engine --post results

if you don't have a voltmeter crank engine for 15 seconds with the ignition off, then feel wires and connections for heat ---heat = bad connection---just slightly warm may not be much of a problem, if you get burned you found your problem

[flatjack9]

Does the engine have the proper flywheel?

[chap52]

I had that front support bracket on the starter break and it caused enough angle on the starter that it pulled the flywheel gear forward and jammed it against the block.
Removed starter and inspection plate and was able to tap it back in place with a hammer and a large punch. I did remove the spark plugs so it was easier to rotate the crankshaft and give me access to make sure the gear was in place all around the flywheel. Works fine now.

[George/Maine]

If this truck is new to you did it ever start good.
You could have a later engine with wrong starter plate.
I like the 12 volt starters speedway sell looks like original works ok for me.

[corvette8n]

Had my ring gear get cockeyed on the flywheel, tapped it back in place and had a few beads of weld put on it.

[old ford guy]

Thks. for ideas. Couple questions, 1] please tell me more about starter plate and battery cranking power required. 2] Latest starter is from Summit Racing vintage torque ford v8 12 volt. this is second one both shafts this bendix is on after little use would move. 2nd starter worked less than 10 times and will not engage flywheel. Flywheel appears to be in place. 6 or 12 volt starter result is the same. bought truck restored from Ford collection in Atlanta, so probably not driven much after restored. I'm a driver no good to me if I can't drive it.

[37 Coupe]

Is it a '41 engine with the 9" flywheel? You can tell if the cupped outer edge. Is it a 59AB engine? Mayby the wrong flywheel,a 10" or 11" from later (8BA) engine. This will cause a hangup.

[George/Maine]

The older engines the starter bolts to the oil pan. The 49 -53 engines have a plate that Can be removed. The starter I like from speedway

91092507 made by power master Some plates are not flat and made on angle.

I guess see you can remove it and post pic.

[BlueSunoco]

Had the same thing Walt described about foreign junk parts. Starter rebuilt by a shop that was SUPPOSED to be good. They did a lousy job. Worked all of maybe seven or eight times.

Chinese Bendix totally took a crap. Disintegrated. They had to have used the softest cheapest crappiest matl' known to man.

A Ford mechanic friend tore it back down and found a GOOD US made Bendix. This was five years ago and still cranks and works good no more problems.

This was on a starter from a '46 Ford.

[George/Maine]

What engine do you have 4 6 8 cylinder. Some times people use 6 cylinder starters on v8 or the other way.