[TR] TR4 Starter question

[James Henningsen]

Hmmn.   Very interesting indeed.  My 4 is an early one and the starter looks just like my TR3As.  I never heard of the starter stopping as engine fires.  My 3 keeps cranking as long as I push the button.  Jim

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 22, 2019, at 10:31 AM, Randall <tr3driver at ca.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> Except that the rubber coupling was eliminated during the TR3A; a TR4
> shouldn't have one.
> 
> But you bring up a very good point.  The TR4 still uses a Bendix, which
> automatically disengages the starter when the engine fires.  If the engine
> fires once but doesn't start, the starter is disengaged and wont engage
> again until you let off the key (or button on a TR3) and let it stop
> spinning.
> 
> Perhaps what Jim is hearing is the hum of the starter motor spinning
> uselessly after the Bendix has kicked out.
> 
> In that case, he needs a tune-up rather than a starter rebuild.  It's just
> the nature of the beast.  Eliminating that "feature" was one of the best
> benefits from going to a gear drive starter IMO.  (The gear drive starters
> use a solenoid and an overrunning clutch rather than a Bendix, so if the
> engine fires but doesn't start, they just go back to cranking.)
> 
> -- Randall
> 
>> My guess is the hum is the rubber coupling in the starter 
>> pawl is slipping.  Time for rebuild.
>> 
>