timing issue

[bcharlton]

After 300+ hrs my starter is chewing up the fly wheel gear ring, which would signal advanced timing, timing is fixed. Any ideas?

[Bryan Cotton]

What engine?

[gammaxy]

I assume you're talking about the Aerovee.

Not sure you can draw any conclusions about timing based on what happens during the brief time you're starting the engine. Pretty sure the timing is way off from ideal for starting during that period anyway, since as you say the timing is fixed.

I noticed early on that I'd release the starter when I thought the engine had started only to realize it was quitting, then I'd hit the starter again and hear it grind since it would collide with the gear ring before it had stopped spinning. I adopted a technique that I haven't heard anyone else mention and might be bad, but it seems to work. I hold the starter for a couple seconds even after it catches until I'm pretty sure it's not going to quit. This obviously results in the engine driving the starter much faster than it would usually go (seems for the engine to run stable right at startup I need about 1400rpm), but I rarely end up in the situation where the engine quits immediately and have to reengage the starter.