Starter pinion - how many teeth?

[RichardHawkins]

Gentlemen,

I think I may have said this before. Between the engine and gearbox is a thin metal plate, sometimes discarded, and often damaged. Between the gearbox and engine are two tubular dowels. In my opinion the dowels are to correctly align the gearbox to the engine. The thin plate is a location fit on the dowels and the diameter at the pinion end of the starter. This combination not just aligns the engine and gearbox, but also sets the radial distance between crank shaft axis and the starter axis. Gears cannot mesh correctly if the teeth are too deep in mesh or too far apart. Having said that, the ring gear to pinion gear set is fairly rough and ready, and probably only in use for a couple of minutes a day, which is probably why it works without lubrication, and why different people report success with both 9 and 10 tooth pinions (assuming the same size ring gear).

I have not found any authoritative information to support what I have said, it is simply my conclusion from observations of how the engine gearbox and starter assembles.

Richard Hawkins

[john.p.clegg]

+1 the above..

John