'60 401 Invicta Starter drive or ring gear on flywheel...

[variablepitch]

Once in a while when stepping on the starter on my '60 Invicta, the drive takes off

before engaging in the flywheel...you can imagine the noise. I've had the cover off

the converter housing and there are some narrower spots on the ring gear. I wonder

if changing the starter drive will help the situation. I've done it once quite a few

years ago, I can do it again... Any ideas?

Thanks...

LeeB

[Dave@Moon]

I had a similar problem on my '60 where the starter drive wouldn't engage correctly on occasion, and after a while sometimes not at all. I was afraid I was missing some teeth on the ring gear becaue of it, but it didn't turn out to be the case.

The starter drive spring gets weak with age, and possibly friction in the system gets worse as well, and it then doesn't engage properly. A rebuilt starter fixed it.

[old-tank]

On starter problems always consider a low voltage problem even if it seems mechanical. Check the obvious like battery and cables at both ends, but also any wire or connection in the starter circuit. This might not apply to yours but the 55 has an additional relay between the solenoid and ignition switch that gives trouble due to high internal resistance. On systems without this relay, my local starter/generator/alternator shop adds one to bypass resistance in other parts of the circuit.

Willie