ok.. one last go with this starter...

alright, so i've got this starter for my '48 cj-2a. it worked perfectly about 6 months ago when i was driving the jeep around.

i recently rebuilt the motor and i'm trying to get it fired up for the first time. so i bolted my starter in and when i give it power it spins but it's not engaging the ring gear.

i read somewhere that when reinstalling these older type starters you're supposed to bring the Bendix follow-thru drive all the way out and carefully mesh the pinion teeth on the starter drive with those on the ring gear when installing it. i've tried this and i get the same results.. it doesn't engage the ring gear. makes a noise like the starter drive is ratcheting.

i've tried the starter out of the bellhousing and it spins fine. it's hard to see if the drive is moving out, but it looks like it is moving in and out slightly.

i've also measured the distance from the ring gear teeth to the point where the starter bolts up, and the distance from the housing of the starter to the starter's pinion gear teeth and it measures out that the starter's pinion gear teeth are coming in contact with the ring gear teeth.

anyone have any ideas?! i'm at a total loss right now for ideas.

thanks,
evan

 

alright now everyone will have a good laugh at this one...

after looking at it one more time i decided to pull the drivetrain out and start again. so out went the tranny, tcase, clutch and flywheel.

upon comparing to another flywheel i had laying around i realized that the one on the jeep had fewer teeth that the other one i had. on a whim i decided to bolt up the other flywheel.. i'll be darned it worked...

i was always under the impression that there was only one tooth-count for the ring gears on the 134 motors.. haha oh well...

 

Actually there are at least 3 different starter/flywheel combinations that were used on the L Head. It all depends on the year of the motor.
Keith

 

.... and two flywheels. I have the heavy weight one in mine which was standard in 4 cyl non CJ applications.