Update! I received a new starter and to my disappointment it does exactly what the old one does. So that means that the starters are working as designed. If 2 starters of the same model and brand doing the same thing it is probably by design. The starters are not OEM but in no way can be called cheap Chinese junk. The company refers to itself as a manufacturer located in the U.S. and is selling a lot of these, I am sure, and according to them it is the right model for my GXV630 Honda engine. If few or no GXV630 owners bought any of these starters, the manufacturer may not be aware of the problem like he says. I don't think that the problem is with my engine. The mounting surface on the block where the starter is mounted on is clean, undamaged and the other variable is the flywheel, which looks like it has never been removed or touched in any way and seems to line up where it should line up. I know many other engines probably can use this same starter and it may work flawless with them but it certainly does not work on my GXV630 engine because the spinning of the starter gear and it popping up are not simultaneous. There is a delay. Maybe the spinning starts half way up, or maybe 40 % up, I don't know but one thing is for sure. When the starter kicks in it sits under the flywheel tooth on tooth and is not spinning and therefore NO starting. Monday I did an experiment with the hopes to prove this point. I built a 0.10" spacer/shim which I put between starter and mounting surface, which would increase the travel of the starter gear by 1/10 of an inch before it gets to the flywheel in the hopes that it goes over the threshold where the spinning begins. And sure enough - it did! I guess now the spinning begins just 100reds of a second before the gear hits the flywheel and it slips right into gear every time. I must have started the engine now at least 20 times in the last 2 days and zero fail. Well, I don't know what's going on here and I am not going to lose anymore sleep over it. It works like it is supposed to and sometimes you just don't have an answer.
Starter reluctant to engage flywheel on Honda GXV630
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2024
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 1,063
I've shimmed a lot of old truck starters in my career, but never for a mower starter.
Glad you found a solution.
It might be a good idea to make sure the starter is still bolted down tight after a while of running and the shim is seated in good.
Glad you found a solution.
It might be a good idea to make sure the starter is still bolted down tight after a while of running and the shim is seated in good.
Yes Sir!
Tiger Small Engine
Lawn Addict
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2022
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 1,484
Maybe over time and usage, the engine developed just enough play that the starter wasn’t lining up exactly right. Glad you got it fixed.
Lots of customers think their battery is strong and good. I load test it in front of them, and reality sets in quickly.
Often the starting circuit, as it passes thru all the safety switches, loses voltage and does not have enough to activate the solenoid properly. John Deere had the same issue with their tractors and even made a kit to fix it.
To test the problem, short the big post on the solenoid to the S termial of the solenoid. If the starter now turns the engine you have found the problem. Or take a voltage reading at the S terminal of the starter when it is engaged.
To fix the problem, purchase a relay and wire it to the start circuit as close to the stater as possible, were it is "safe".
One like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Automo...rness/dp/B00FOVNNL8?tag=usdeshoppin04-20&th=1
To wire in the circuit: remove wire from S terminal, Wire a wire from the battery post of the starter to terminal 30, wire a wire from 85 to a good groud, wire the original S wire to 86, wire terminal 87 to starter S terminal.
Why t works: the original wiring as it ages and corrodes cannot carry the full volltage anymore so the starter does not have enough "power" to force the solenoid to contact the electrical connections inside the solenoid to turn the starter so the teeth will align. The relay will close at a much lower voltage and because the relay has a lot less voltage drop it gives the starter move "power" to turn the starter.
Here is the John Deere bulletin on the kit, If my "wiring" was not expllained well enough go to the last page of the bulletin.
To test the problem, short the big post on the solenoid to the S termial of the solenoid. If the starter now turns the engine you have found the problem. Or take a voltage reading at the S terminal of the starter when it is engaged.
To fix the problem, purchase a relay and wire it to the start circuit as close to the stater as possible, were it is "safe".
One like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Automo...rness/dp/B00FOVNNL8?tag=usdeshoppin04-20&th=1
To wire in the circuit: remove wire from S terminal, Wire a wire from the battery post of the starter to terminal 30, wire a wire from 85 to a good groud, wire the original S wire to 86, wire terminal 87 to starter S terminal.
Why t works: the original wiring as it ages and corrodes cannot carry the full volltage anymore so the starter does not have enough "power" to force the solenoid to contact the electrical connections inside the solenoid to turn the starter so the teeth will align. The relay will close at a much lower voltage and because the relay has a lot less voltage drop it gives the starter move "power" to turn the starter.
Here is the John Deere bulletin on the kit, If my "wiring" was not expllained well enough go to the last page of the bulletin.
Gord Baker
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2018
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 467
Be sure the Bendix shaft is well lubricated.
None of the problems mentioned above by Gord Baker or bentrim apply to this case. Testing showed that there was nothing wrong with the starter or anything else, except for one thing. My starter had a delay before the spinning started and so did the replacement unit, indicating that this was by design. It could be possible that the OEM starter or other brands don't have that delay and start spinning the second the gear is kicked out by the solenoid and therefore never display the problem I encountered. I know, it shouldn't be, but we live in a world of "Gotchas" But the problem has been solved with the spacer that I fabricated and i intend to contact the manufacturer in a few days to see if we can get to the bottom of this, if this is even still possible in this day and age of robots, AI, chat flunkies, off shore sweet talking know-nothing tech support and other ineffective nuisances
sgkent
Lawn Addict
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2017
- Threads
- 35
- Messages
- 1,841
he says the voltaqes are good and the battery good too. I asked because that is the most common type problem but hey, if he is only interested in doing it his way, it is a free country. What do I know, only replaced and rebuilt maybe several hundred starters, battery cables, and batteries in my life.
Yep I have repaired many mowers that just clicked when the key was turned, installed the relay and no more just clicks. Only trying to help -- But--