Starter is stuck to flywheel

[Forest#2]

You can also find some good info about checking/repairing Kohlers starters on-line. The brush end has a kit and it user friendly to replace the brush assembly kit.

 

[kkjfjns2014]

You can also find some good info about checking/repairing Kohlers starters on-line. The brush end has a kit and it user friendly to replace the brush assembly kit.

I'll check that out thank you

 

[EABill]

Keep that shaft clean and lubricated so the gear slides up and down freely. I can have the same problem with our 35 year old wheel horse 314-8.

 

[skipb]

Hello all, I went out to try and start my 2009 craftsman yts4500 and it turned over 3 times and just suddenly stopped. Now when you try to turn it over it just makes one click and doesn't do anything. Battery is good and charged.

The battery side of the solenoid has 12.6 volts but when you turn the key the starter side only gets 6.4 volts. I took the cover off and noticed the starter bendix was stuck to the flywheel. (Pic attached) I tried tapping it down to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas why this happened or what to do now? Thank you.

Not knowing any info on motor,try pulling spark plug to make sure the cylinder is not loaded with fuel. That will cause compression lock up.

 

[Zedo]

Hello all, I went out to try and start my 2009 craftsman yts4500 and it turned over 3 times and just suddenly stopped. Now when you try to turn it over it just makes one click and doesn't do anything. Battery is good and charged.

The battery side of the solenoid has 12.6 volts but when you turn the key the starter side only gets 6.4 volts. I took the cover off and noticed the starter bendix was stuck to the flywheel. (Pic attached) I tried tapping it down to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas why this happened or what to do now? Thank you.

 

[Zedo]

Hello all, I went out to try and start my 2009 craftsman yts4500 and it turned over 3 times and just suddenly stopped. Now when you try to turn it over it just makes one click and doesn't do anything. Battery is good and charged.

The battery side of the solenoid has 12.6 volts but when you turn the key the starter side only gets 6.4 volts. I took the cover off and noticed the starter bendix was stuck to the flywheel. (Pic attached) I tried tapping it down to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas why this happened or what to do now? Thank you.

Bad starter or not seems like the Bendix is bottoming out, the Bendix shouldn't go that high up on the flywheel. . I would take the starter off place it in a vise or have someone hold it down firmly , it will try to jump on you. Apply 12 volt and see what the starter does.

 

[Gord Baker]

It is worth taking apart and carefully see if one brush is stuck in its' holder and not contacting armature.
Have a firm grip on the starter when you are testing it!

 

[Cajun power]

just a suggestion. check your battery again. there is a non zero possibility that the key START switch is borked or even the starter solenoid, and thus full energy is being applied to flywheel starter, thus it remains extended. This would be very rare that this happens, but I would still check to make sure those two devices are not borked and caused the problem to begin with. Of the few times I've seen or read a flywheel starter solenoid to pop out and remain out, is usually related to some other root cause. But then it could just be a flywheel starter that slammed against the flywheel and hit a tooth instead of a groove and has caused the gear bearing or shaft to bend hard...which isn't common,
as others have commented, the cheap flywheel starters are not cheap but are better quality. If cost is a concern, it would a good idea to run through the entire system before installing another one that might fail due to an unknown root cause.

note: I have had pretty good results with cheap flywheel starters. I am not going to say they are as good as the OEM and third party equivalents, but in a pinch and tight budget (or a customer on a budget and knows I cannot warranty the part replacement), I've gone that route. For my own personal commercial equipment ...always top quality Flywheel starters..And that can be serviced...such as the motor...or the brushes as others have commented.

just throwing out some ideas to help.

 

[rbrading]

Same issue I find in 2024. I expected starter, so I bought a new one, through BadBoy dealer for a Kohler engine. Same thing happened. Put old one back on, same thing again. Note, tapping with hammer did not fix. Took spark plugs out, turned fly wheel, bendex slides back in place off fly wheel. Put plugs back in. Everything works fine now. I bought this 2015 mower a little over a year ago.

 

[Gord Baker]

A little sticky grease on the bendix shaft will help.