Bendix stripped

[davidball]

Starting my car this afternoon I got a very nasty grinding noise then a clunk.
I took the inertia starter motor off and the bendix gear is stripped.
The motor is ok and the teeth on the flyweel seem to be ok. Anyone know where I can get a replacement bendix gear and does it require special tools to replace it?

Edited by davidball on Sunday 2nd May 16:46

Edited by davidball on Sunday 2nd May 17:28

[buzzer]

Check the ring gear while you have it off... they tend to wear in just one place so you may have to inspect it wit a mirror while someone turns the engine with a spanner on the front pulley.

As for replacing the bendix, you can do it with a vice but its a bit fiddly as the retainer is held on with a round wire circlip that fits in an annular grove. you have to compress the spring slightly to prize circlip out of its grove.

there are some VERY cheap and nasty bendix on the market at the moment which don't last 5 mins... they are soft and the helix are machined so badly they tend to stick.

A recon starter is pretty cheap however, may be best to go for a re-con rather than try to replace the bendix yourself... make sure you get one with the correct number of teeth.

[davidball]

Many thanks for your advice. I will get a replacement starter.

[davidball]

There is some confusion regarding the number of teeth on the bendix. The present one has 9 but replacement Lucas has 10 teeth. The ring gear has 110. Anyone know what it should be?