Blew Up Starter Bendix (#4 Gear)

[Ole Blue 73]

The starter on my 73 was slipping and only occasionally starting the bike. I ordered and installed new gear and spring from Mikes and it worked fine initially, but when the bike wouldn't start I cranked it too much (should have just kicked it) and the starter was slipping again. I drove the bike about 150 miles just using the kick starter (and occasionally trying the button, but it always slipped. Took a 50 mile ride and stopped to eat (bike had been running great) and the kick starter was locked solid. Checked and the engine was not turning, had plenty of oil and had not got hot. Trailered it home and pulled the right cover and found the spring clip for the starter laying in the bottom of the case. The clip had broke off the #4 gear and the compression spring was scattered in pieces. I have cleaned all the metal bits out and flushed out the case, the engine turns freely again. I reused the old spring clip and I don't know if it failed or I didn't get it installed properly (although I checked it and it looked good). I want to fix this, but not real sure just what went wrong. Has anyone ever had the starter bendix fail in this manner? If I replace everything from the starter out should I be OK or is there something deeper I need to be checking. Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

 

[AUTOMAN]

Prob. mikes crap

 

[Its been a long time]

You reused the old clip on the new bendix gear? I recall that the groove profile and clip on the 3rd party reproduction parts are a different profile to those on the original parts. Whether that is a problem, I don't know.

You squeezed the original drag clip to get more tension? If you did, it's possible that you cracked the metal that the clip is made from if you squeezed it too much.

 

[Ole Blue 73]

I shouldn't have said spring clip (brain fart) I meant snap ring. The replacement gear and wishbone spring pulled over 6 pounds out of the box so I installed it as it came. The compression spring behind the gear must have got sucked into the gears as it was broken into small pieces and scattered everywhere. I pulled the sump and screen and the oil filter trying to find and clean all the debris. I wouldn't want to damage the motor, but I would truly hate to have to split the case on this beast.

 

[Its been a long time]

OK. You reused the circlip? New circlip should be fine.

 

[Ole Blue 73]

New development - what the parts diagram calls the wheel starter (gear) that the bendix gear #4 slides in an out on is froze to the shaft. I tried light tapping and PB blaster and even pulling with pliers and it doesn't budge. The gear should freely spin and slide out with finger pressure so I may have debris in it or when it failed it may have bent or tweaked it. Usually heat helps, but I am reluctant to start torching in the guts of the engine. I'm sure this is not too common, but and ideas how to break this gear free without doing more harm to the engine?