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Starter Pinion Gear - Plastic doesn't last long


JoggerFogger

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Seems like this gear lasts about one season of mowing. I've replaced this gear 3 times now.Is this a consumable, or do I have a problem?I just bought a 5 pack of these gears, but now that I'm looking closer at the picture I took, it doesn't look like these teeth are fully engaging. I'm now remembering last year I replaced this whole pinion and slider (solenoid) assembly. I also rebuilt the starter with new brushes and bearings thinking that the problem was the starter. I'm now thinking that I need to reposition the starter so that it gets a better "bite" on the flywheel. No?I also just noticed that there's a cutout on the shroud to make this starter fit. Maybe it wasn't original? Maybe that's my problem. My brain is a little foggy, but I thought I remembered that this year had a mish-mash of parts. A transition year from the generator/starter platform, to a more automotive style starter.This is on my 1978 7016-H Sovereign.Any suggestions, comments, solutions or experience is welcome.Thanks,Kevin

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That looks like every starter gear I have ever encountered. I always thought they wore that way, because they are contacting the flywheel near the end of the teeth first. Not sure if shimming the starter out would solve it or not...thing resistance may simply cause the wear to progress as it has?

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I've had better luck with steel gears but, that plastic one should last many years unless something is wrong.

Either something is not aligned right, I think the gear should go higher and contact more of the gear tooth,

or, are you sure you have the correct tooth count ? I think you can get those gears with 3 or 4 different numbers of teeth on it.

One is way off, the teeth are a lot smaller so that it's noticable, so you don't need that one, but I think 2 of them are only different by 2 or 3 teeth.

Hard to tell in a picture, but your flywheel teeth look closer together than the starter teeth. If you could measure from the point of one to the point of the next one on each part, they should be about the same.

I could be way off, but it's a place to start ???

Looking at your "cutout" it may also be the wrong starter, there are a couple different types of spring mechanisms too.

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I am pretty sure that Briggs consolidated 2 part numbers down to one a number of years ago for the plastic pinions. Don't the iron Briggs have a shim between the block and the starter?

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You guys are awesome.

I need to move the tractor, and the replacement gears are a couple days out. After I looked at it for 5 min. I realized that I could flip the gear around and maybe it would work to at least get the tractor back to the shed.

Also, since I know I'll be back to this project when the parts arrive, I thought I'd take a chance on the shimming idea. So I loosened the attachment bolts and shimmed the front of the starter out about 3/16th, maybe even 1/4. that made the starter pivot a little on the two main bolts that hold it in place and seat the pinion gear nicely into the flywheel.

It worked. Way better than I was expecting.

On a side note. I've had the hardest time mowing my grass this week.

1. Mower deck drive idler pulley nut fell off Monday.

2. Fixed it Tuesday, and starter failed in driveway (topic here).

3. Today, Wednesday, flipped starter gear and after 20 min of mowing the mower deck drive belt snapped.

I now have 3 grass heights in my lawn. Good thing I enjoy working on my tractor as much as I enjoy mowing my lawn. I normally mow the grass in 40 min not 4 days.

-Kevin

Pictures tomorrow when it's light out.

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I had to replace the starter on my 7116 because one of the magnets broke. The only replacement i could find had the output shaft a little shorter the the OE starter. My gears look just like yours. There is no adjustment to get the starter closer to the flywheel. I even tried using the old armature but it was to long for the can.

Ken

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have to agree with Ken, although I only had experience with two of these type sarters. On one the whole top cap, spring, and gear went to pot. The second and current starter in the 88 12HP I/C, is two years newer. Both engines had the plastic ring gears, which might account for less wear on the pinion gear. I would think that if the sprng on top was too stiff, that would slow the pinion from moving into the ring gear rapidly. Check thatthe flywheel is fully seated on the shaft.

I would also try some silicon spray on the spiral plastic sleave/axle.

Also check for any burrs on that nylon piece.

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Grinchy is spot on. On my old kt I would have to open the tin, push the gear to engage, douse it in carb cleaner and let it dry. Then 5 minutes later hit it with triflow. I replaced mine after 4 years, then ran the new one for 5 years and sold the tractor. Mine 2nd one was plastic. No idea but I thought the first was as well.

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I have shimmed this starter out on the front with some plastic cutting board material. Not ideal, but it's what I had laying around.I've never heard the starter be so quiet. I didn't know it could sound that way. I've always heard this shrill whine when it starts. I rebuilt the starter last summer to remedy it. Turns out it was the pinion gear slipping on the flywheel. The pinion gear was ripping itself apart from day one.I turned around the pinion gear, shimmed it out, and 12 starts later it's working excellent.I used the soft cutting board because I knew it would give a little cushion as I adjusted the shim so the teeth would line up nice and snug. There's a positive engagement now, and it just feels correct now.-Kevin

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There is not much left on that one. I would order one up before your knee high in grass or waist deep in snow and it wont turn over. Ask me how I know...lol.

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I ordered 5 new ones, and they're sitting in my parts bin. The way I have this shimmed provides such a positive engagement, I think this will last all summer.

Maybe I didn't make it clear, but the way this was set before made it slip with a brand new gear. I should reverse it and take some before/after video. You'd be amazed that it ever started like that.

-Kevin

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When swapped the '90 to '88 I/c, I noticed the cutout in the '90 shroud was higher than the '88. My pinon damage was caused by hitting the starter when the flywheel was already spinning.ngr2

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