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Starter turns but wont engage flywheel. I have a fairly new solenoid and ignition switch and have a good ground connection. I know the battery is bad but shouldn't it still at least try to crank with a jumper? Any help would be appreciated. Oh yeah, last year the plastic bushing around the stud on the starter disintegrated. I put the pieces back in and siliconed it together never had a problem. I took the brushplate out and it seemed ok to me but i didnt really know what to look for. Thanks

Welcome to LMF...

Remove the starter and check the spring assembly & the spiral 'guide' on the nose of the starter....

BTW... What engine is this starter on??
:smile:KennyV

the spring assembly seems fine, when i manually lift the gear to engage the flywheel and then try to start it tries to turn but doesnt as if the engine is seized up, but the motor will turn over by hand. 19.5 twin briggs

Try spraying wd 40 on the shaft. I had a similar problem with a Kohler when I lubed it, it would work for a while. I ended out turning new bushings for it. I think what happens is the bushings wear and the rotor sticks (through magnetism) to the stator and it can't turn. There is not a great deal of clearance in there.

thanks fastback. Ill try that tomorrow. little confused on how magnetism is the problem. starter gear(plastic) is turning just not engaging flywheel

Go to your local briggs dealer and buy the starter drive replacement kit. Generally 20.00 or so. Pull off starter and swap of the spring, shaft and gear. Should take care of the problem.

The guy manually engaged the gear in the flywheel and then tried to start and wouldn't spin engine, I would say that the starter has gotten weak and will probably need replaced. Have seen more than one starter over the years do that on the opposed twin engines.

If you go to napa for the starter or parts you will save some money

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ILENGINE said:

The guy manually engaged the gear in the flywheel and then tried to start and wouldn't spin engine, I would say that the starter has gotten weak and will probably need replaced. Have seen more than one starter over the years do that on the opposed twin engines.

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I am going to say that is something I have never tryed is to engage the drive gear manually and then try to spin the engine. Just a thought is it possible that the starter has to spin to get its momentum up frist to spin the engine. I never got into rebulding the small mower starters other then replaceing a drive gear but have on biger ones like cars or trucks, I just replace the mower starters because I don't think you can find parts to rebuild them. Not really too much to a starter. Things to look for is shorts in feilds and armature, worn bushings or brushes.

Is this an over head valve engine? If so the valves may need adjustment. Mine is very touchy and that needs to be done 2- 3 times a year.

thanks for the feedback men. the spring and drive gear for the starter are new. I thought that the gear would need momentum to turn flywheel, i just tried it again after spraying silicone on the gear and the gear engaged the flywheel but wouldnt turn it even with momentum. i found a new brushplate for $30 i guess thats what i need unless there is some other reason the starter is dragging. have 10 volts at the starter that should be enough right?? again thanks for all your help

no its not a ohv not that is says on the motor anyway. 19.5 twin i/c briggs and stratton

Duffer72 said:

Is this an over head valve engine? If so the valves may need adjustment. Mine is very touchy and that needs to be done 2- 3 times a year.

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It sure wouldn't hurt to check valve adjustment. I have around 700 hrs. on my Kohler and have never had to touch the valve adjustment. Don't know what engine you have or hours you run it in a year but if you have to adjust your valves that often I would say there is a problim comeing up. The only place I have ever heard of a engine needing that many valve adjustments is on some of the junk chinese engines.

aaronj said:

thanks for the feedback men. the spring and drive gear for the starter are new. I thought that the gear would need momentum to turn flywheel, i just tried it again after spraying silicone on the gear and the gear engaged the flywheel but wouldnt turn it even with momentum. i found a new brushplate for $30 i guess thats what i need unless there is some other reason the starter is dragging. have 10 volts at the starter that should be enough right?? again thanks for all your help

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I don't know what money you are investing in this starter or already have but it looks like maybe you could have bought a rebuilt starter from NAPA for less. I guess it is hard to know when stop on something like this. Now what happens if you spend 30 dollars on the brush plate and still have problems? I would say bite the bullet now before you spend another 30 dollars and buy a rebuilt or used starter. Also didn't you say earler the battey was bad. You know you have to buy a new one anyways so why not start there. You are runing this starter off jumper cables you said. You may have the volage but not the amps. I know I hate to spend money also.

my jumper box claims to put out 55 amps i assumed that was enough. i have 10 volts present at the starter i assumed that was enough also. if its possible a new battery would solve the problem i will try it first, i just wanted to go once and get all needed parts preferably as few as possible

aaronj said:

my jumper box claims to put out 55 amps i assumed that was enough. i have 10 volts present at the starter i assumed that was enough also. if its possible a new battery would solve the problem i will try it first, i just wanted to go once and get all needed parts preferably as few as possible

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Yes your jumper box may say 55 amps but without a good amp tester you don't know what is going to your starter also high amps would be a bad starter.

just put a new battery on and she fired right up. thanks for your help everyone

Good that you replaced the battery.
10 Volts is NOT enough to work the starter... :smile:KennyV

aaronj said:

Starter turns but wont engage flywheel. I have a fairly new solenoid and ignition switch and have a good ground connection. I know the battery is bad but shouldn't it still at least try to crank with a jumper? Any help would be appreciated. Oh yeah, last year the plastic bushing around the stud on the starter disintegrated. I put the pieces back in and siliconed it together never had a problem. I took the brushplate out and it seemed ok to me but i didnt really know what to look for. Thanks

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Did you get it figured out

actually, today, after 2 months of trouble-free starting she wouldnt start hot. (motor turns over but wont crank) maybe twice out of 15-20 attempts to start i heard the starter spin without engaging the flywheel. never did figure out why it wouldnt start but i think it will after it cools off. (dont know exactly what that means) but it seemed like i was again having a problem with low voltage getting to starter.