starter poblem

[Johns]

Thanks guys,starter worked fine before I yanked it for a rebuild and there is a big ground wire from battery to the engine. John

[wlarson861]

Thanks guys,starter worked fine before I yanked it for a rebuild and there is a big ground wire from battery to the engine. John

I think they are referring to a ground from the starter to the engine block. With the starter mounted to the red anodized accessory case there may be insufficient ground path with out a ground strap from the starter to the engine block.

[MikePousson]

Use a #8 wire with a ring on the end, remove one of the starter attach bolts and put the ring over the bolt and reassemble. Sent it directly to battery negative terminal.

[flyinbrian]

Starter chewed 3 inches of flywheel teeth off. Inspection showed starter gear doesn't have enough room to fully engage flywheel because it hits the case. I think I can fix it by shimming the starter and/or machining the case to allow the starter to fully engage. I don't understand why Sonex did not use the original hole in the case for the starter.
Brian
N126YX

[Johns]

Brian, That's what my problem was. I took a dremil and ground down the new case till there was enough room for the starter to fully engage.

John

[flyinbrian]

Apparently, per Sonex some of the cases were not machined for the starter to engage the flywheel. How would a builder know? There is no mention of it in the manual.

[n502pd]

Hello guys! I am the proud owner of an AeroVee kit now, and should be starting the build shortly. I am interested in this starter problem and the case not allowing the starter to fully engauge the flywheel.
:?:
Do anyone have a picture of the problem, before and after? it sure help me!

Thanks

[Johns]

Hi Joe, don't have any pics but when your engine is put together there might be a hole on the left side of the case. That is where the bendix drive will be coming out to engage the starter. If there is no hole you might have a problem. Once everything is put together, manualy pull the drive out to see if the flywheel gets engaged all the way. If not you will probably have take some metal out just in front of the starter until there is enough space for the drive to come all the way out. Hope this helps.

John

[n502pd]

Oh yes, I understand more now. My case is due in tomorrow from Sonex. Is it the hole, when it exists, that you enlarged, or just removed material from the starter side of that hole to allow the bendix enough room to fully extend? What if the hole isnt there? what has been done with this? has anyone said why the hole isnt there? Is the hole, when it is there, been machined in place or cast in place, if one can tell. Just now, not seeing the case, I am of a mind to put the hole there anyway just in case a replacement starter would have a problem at a later date/time.

Thanks for the heads up too!! :)

[gammaxy]

The hole is visible on the flywheel end of the case in this picture. Right side of the case from this view, left side when installed on the airplane. I'm pretty sure it's a machined hole.



I wonder if Sonex would be willing to compile a list of places the case has been machined/modified so builders can double-check? That hole would be easy for a builder to miss. Once you install the baffling it's out-of-sight so you might not even think of it.