18 Magnum starter question....
 

I have an 1872 with an 18 Magnum engine. The starter spins and the bendix engages with the flywheel, but does not spin the bendix/flywheel. The starter seems to be spinning fast just not hooking up to the bendix. What connects the shaft and bendix once it flys out to the fly wheel? I'm thinking I need to replace the bendix, but not sure that the end of the starter shaft isn't messed up. The big nut is on the end and the spring seems to be intact. However the bendix does not return when I let up on the key. I here its better to rebuild the old ones rather then replace with the cheep repacements. $25 for a bendix...$17 for a brush kit.... $65 for a new EBAY starter. However if the shaft is screwed up on my old one, I will have to go with the new one. I ask for input because removing a starter from a Super is a pain in the A.. I oly what to do this once! Thanks:

bigthink:

It sounds like the bendix drive may have gotten stripped somehow. The only way to know for sure is to remove the starter and take it apart.

I had the same thing happen to my M18 starter and what I did was to take a long screw driver and pull the Bendix cover back so that I could spray carburetor cleaning fluid on all of the spring and gear and then blasted it with my pressure washer. After that it has worked for over a year without any further trouble. It had a build up of crud and it would not let the gear engage the flywheel even though it was turning. When I looked at it while turning it appeared to be engaged with the flywheel but actually wasn't.

Well I removed the starter today and the bendix does appear to be broken internally. I ordered a new one. While it's out I disassembled and cleaned everything, tested it and it spinns strong. We'll see how it works when I get the bendix. Thanks for the input.