So I installed a brand new starter/solenoid day before yesterday, and last night she stalled out (engine was still cold, and carb needs to be tweaked a bit). But when I tried to start her back up, the jackshaft was grinding and not engaging the flywheel. The jackshaft wasn't going all the way out, so I was able to put my fingers on it (dry clutch, open primary) and push it out enough to get her to start.

When I got her home, I pulled the cover off of the primary and found that the jackshaft doesn't line up right. It seems like it angles down a bit so it doesn't move freely to engage the flywheel. I can move it a bit to make it line up but when I do and I can pull the jackshaft into position, there's not enough clearance for it to move in and out. It'll move out (out to engage the flywheel) but it won't retract from the flywheel on its own.

I pulled the starter back off and reinstalled it just to make sure the fault wasn't my own, but it did the exact same thing when I reinstalled it. Am I doing something wrong? Has anybody had this issue before? I'm stumped on how to fix this.

I did try loosening the jackshaft bolt a little, and while it did help a small amount with the motion, it still doesn't line up right so it still can't move freely.

 

Shims installed properly or a different starter. Not every part fits right. Throughout my life. Starters and ring gears have been the one thing I spend the most time either correcting or waiting for them to wear in to fit.

 

But I'm still using the original ring and pinion gears, so there should be no need to wait for wear, right? I just pulled the jackshaft off of the old starter and installed it on the new one, so any wear that's needed should already have taken place. Unless the new starter housing changes the alignment, I suppose. But I'm more inclined to believe im messing something up, not the engineers who designed it to match OEM. lol

 

Then perhaps the problem was the jackshaft all along?

 

But I wasn't having this problem before. I replaced the whole assembly because the solenoid wasn't pushing the jackshaft out at all. You could hear it spinning inside the housing without any engagement of the ring gear. I've checked the splined shaft from the original starter, and it's identical. I've checked the mounting holes, and they're identical. I've heard of people having issues with the bdl open primaries, but I haven't found anything specific to their problems so I don't know if this is it or not.

 

If it is out of alignment for whatever reason---it needs to be adjusted. Try to shim it with small temporary shims. See if that solves the problem.

 

Just a word to the wise and you may already know this. Disconnect that battery before you start pulling on that jack shaft. One thing my father always said "those fingers do not grow back"

 

^^^THIS^^^

I have a friend who lost a finger pulling on the jackshaft!
It happened so quick he couldn't get his finger out in time.
It was mangled to bits when it it got caught in the gears!!
beware for sure!