Jim Burns wrote:
: Pull the starter and have the Bendix thoroughly cleaned, inspected, and
: re-lubed.
: Re install starter and use silicone spray to lube the bendix shaft every 50
: hours minimum.
: http://www.lycoming.textron.com/main...iveEngine.html

: Jim

This is a well-known problem. The shaft gets gunked up a bit and keeps the
bendix from coming out.

We had the same thing happening to our Cherokee 180 (sometimes it wouldn't
engage and would just whirr). We took it off figuring it needed some cleaning and
lube and discovered that the mounting flange was cracked. In fact, the crack went
about halfway through the material between the mounting flange and the motor. That
sucker weighs close to 20 lbs and is cantilevered pretty well, so I'm surprised that
cracks aren't more common. It would have been ugly had it broken..... probably would
have dropped a hole through the bottom of the cowling, or at least rattled around
awhile banging into the muffler, air cleaner box, engine mount, carb, oil pan, ...
yeech!

Anyway, something to look at while you've got it off. We put on a SkyTec and
have been very happy with its starting capabilities, and mildly happy with the fact
that it's a permanent-magnet motor. Basically, the gear stays engaged in the flywheel
ring gear for about 1-2 sec *after* the motor starts while the back EMF of the PM
motor decays through the solenoid. Not the greatest design, but it does work, and
saved us 10 lbs on the nose.

-Cory


************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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