DIY bendix repair

In detail: do-it-yourself bendix repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Bendix or freewheel - starter unit, directly transmitting torque from the electric motor armature to the flywheel. When traveling on the road, it experiences a large number of external influences that can lead to its malfunction.

Replacing the starter bendix is not a cheap job, and the unit itself can cause serious damage to the car owner's budget. By doing it yourself, repairing or replacing it, you can avoid high costs.

The main causes of malfunctions affecting the reliable coupling of the flywheel and the freewheel starter of the car include:

Formation of deposits inside her body;
Weakening or breakage of the overrunning clutch roller springs;
Destruction of the hull;
Roller wear.

Some of these malfunctions can be eliminated by repair work; to eliminate others, it will be necessary to replace the starter bendix. Repair of the starter bendix is permissible in almost all situations with the replacement of individual elements, except for the destruction of its body. In some cases, repairs are reduced to soaking the front of the starter in a container with gasoline, followed by drying. Often, after such a procedure, the Ford Fiesta bendix came into working order and for a long time did not bother with malfunctions. In this case, car owners did not even have to think about how to remove the bendix from the starter and put it back.

First of all, you need to make sure that it is the overrunning clutch that is to blame for the malfunction of the starter, and not, for example, the retractor relay. The question of how to check the bendix is asked by many car owners who are faced with similar malfunctions. To find out that it is necessary to replace or repair the starter bendix is quite simple - the electric motor of the starter device runs "idle" without cranking the car engine. Simply put, the bendix does not engage with the flywheel, slipping on the armature shaft.

Video (click to play).

The first stage of the repair is to remove the entire device from the car engine. For most car brands, this procedure is quite simple. This will require:

Remove the negative terminal from the battery;
Remove the positive wire from the solenoid relay;
Remove the engine mounting bolts;
Pull starter out of engine compartment.

In some cases, it will be necessary to remove the engine protection and pull the unit out from below.

Further, the question arises of how to remove the bendix from the starter without damaging anything. The designs of starters for cars of almost all brands are the same, and in order to remove the culprit from them, you will need:

Remove the solenoid relay;
Pull out the pusher;
Remove the front part of the starter;
Remove the retaining ring from the armature shaft;
Pull out the freewheel.

Having pulled out the overrunning clutch, it is necessary to carefully examine its condition to make sure that repair of the starter bendix is impossible. Next, we install a new unit by carefully cleaning the armature shaft. When choosing a new freewheel clutch, it is necessary not to be mistaken with its marking. Often it is not enough just to indicate the make and model of the car engine - starters can be installed at the factory from various manufacturers and the repair product simply will not work. For example, if the bendix is being replaced with a Ford Focus, then the markings can be read on its body.

When performing assembly work of the starting unit and installing it on a car engine, special attention must be paid to attaching the wire to the solenoid relay. Next, we check the performance on the car.If the solenoid relay operates normally and the engine rotates confidently after turning the ignition key, then the repair work has been done correctly.

Many motorists do not think about how to change the bendix on the starter, but prefer to repair it. In many cases, it is quite possible to repair the starter bendix by replacing the rollers or thoroughly cleaning the armature shaft and the inside of the overrunning clutch. Self-repair of the starter bendix will save money on the purchase of a new unit, and in some cases significantly reduce the repair time.

To repair the starter bendix you need:

Remove the starter from the car by disconnecting the wires from the solenoid relay;
Disassemble it by carefully disconnecting the wire from the retractor;
Remove the freewheel and clean it from the outside;

Carefully inspect it and make sure that repair of the starter bendix is possible.

If there are no cracks on the case, you can start directly repairing the starter bendix. First, you can place the dismantled unit in a container with gasoline for several hours, and periodically rotate it. In some cases, such a procedure will be the repair of the overrunning clutch. Repair of the starter bendix here comes down to dissolving internal deposits and returning the rollers to mobility without replacing them. If the malfunction is not corrected, then the repair work will be more time consuming.

We start repairing the starter bendix by disassembling its body. After gaining access to the rollers and springs, they must be removed and thoroughly cleaned. As a rule, rollers are subject to little wear and do not need to be replaced or repaired. The malfunction is very often hidden in resinous deposits, and repair is reduced to their removal. In this case, the repair of the starter bend will consist of:

Cleaning of hard internal deposits inside;
Flushing into housings in gasoline.

Next, you need to carefully inspect the inside of the coupling housing, and in the absence of damage, you can assemble it back. After making sure that the rollers are not damaged, they are installed in their original place. If the rollers are not cylindrical, you will have to replace them with new ones.

Repair rollers are installed with a slightly larger diameter. You cannot change individual worn-out rollers - the entire set needs to be replaced. After installing the rollers, the springs are installed, and the entire body is assembled. After assembly, it is necessary to check the results of the repair - the gear should only rotate in one direction.

The assembled device is installed on the armature shaft and fixed with a retaining ring. The question of how to lubricate the starter bendix can be answered unequivocally - nothing. The performed repair of the starter bendix consisted in the removal of coked oil and the application of any lubricant is unacceptable. Further, the starter is assembled with cleaning before installing the solenoid relay and mounted on the car. After completing the repair work and replacing individual parts, we check the starter on the machine. Before the first start, it is necessary to check the correctness of the fastening of the wires of the solenoid relay. If the armature rotates freely and there is a clear engagement with the flywheel, then the repair is correct.

Read also: DIY bathroom faucet repair

As you can see, repairing the starter bendix is a task quite feasible for many drivers. Replacement of individual parts and complex disassembly are often unnecessary and all actions are reduced to flushing the unit. Self-repair allows you to avoid replacing expensive units and save a lot of money.

However, if you do not have experience in car repair, it is better not to risk it, but to seek help from the specialists of our center.

Starter repair is a troublesome business, but by doing it yourself, you can save your family budget. During operation, the starter is constantly under heavy loads, and is exposed to dust, moisture, dirt and oil, which contributes to the rapid destruction of the insulation of the electric motor and breakdowns of the drive mechanism.

We have already written about some of the signs of a starter malfunction and about checking and repairing the retractor relay. Another malfunction that leads to the repair of the starter is the slip of the overrunning freewheel clutch - bendix, resulting from contamination of the grooves and rollers. In this case, when the starter is turned on, the noise of a rotating armature is heard, and the crankshaft is in place (this is good shown in instruction video for starter repair at the bottom of the page). Repair is indispensable here.

You can check the bendix directly on the car without removing the entire unit. For this you need:

Include transmission;
Depress the brake pedal;
Start starter.

If at the same time you hear the sound of the armature rotation, then the bendix is slipping and needs to be repaired or replaced with a new one.

To begin with, you can try to carry out a small repair and remove the contamination of the bendix without disassembling the starter. For this:

remove the starter from the car (Video instruction at the end of the article);
immerse it whole in a container of gasoline and leave it there for several hours;
without removing the starter from the container, turn the clutch gear several times for better flushing of the grooves;
take out and dry the starter.

If, as a result of such a "not tricky" repair, the malfunction is not eliminated, you will have to remove and disassemble the overrunning clutch.

Starter repair with disassembly of the bendix is performed in the following order:

Before disassembling the bendix, first of all, it must be removed from the anchor (look at the video below).
Then very carefully flare the folded edge of the casing and remove it from the outer race.
Then remove the springs and stretch them so that when they are free, they increase by about 10 mm.
Next, it is necessary to wash all the parts of the bendix, the grooves of the outer cage in gasoline, and clean out the nicks and burrs on the working surfaces.
Do not forget to lubricate all structural elements with engine oil before assembly.

If you properly roll up the edges of the casing, then such a repair of the starter will extend the life of the bendix for several more years.

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Here are some more bendixes from Zhiguli, from old stocks.
Two bendixes - “born” for three clips.

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Bendix CT 230 and the like, it is convenient to disassemble using such a device. The width of the working part (the part that engages) is about 5-8 mm, you can slightly round it off. It is better to check the rollers for wrinkles in reflected light, even small wrinkles are visible. do not hit the drawing by hand.

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You can kick it as you like.

We will begin to “repair” the bendixes to the clients, tomorrow they will arrive, we will owe them money!

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75 RUR
New bendix 400 rubles - 75 = 325 rubles net income for 10 minutes
From the bendix bought by the client, the income is ZERO. Minus needs to wait until he brings it.
Then

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It is the starter that guarantees a comfortable start of the car engine through the ignition key. Being inherently an electric motor, the device requires a careful attitude towards itself. This is due to the fact that a lot of elements are included in the design of the starter, and one of the main ones is the bendix (or freewheel). Without it, starting the engine is impossible, even if the electric motor of the starting device is serviceable. Restoring the overrunning clutch is not always advisable (but possible), the best option is to replace the bendix on the starter. Interestingly, this spare part is named after its inventor - Vincent Hugo Bendix: an American patented it in 1916.

The mechanical device performs the function of transferring torque from the starter motor to the engine flywheel. How does Bendix work? After energizing the starter, the clutch moves out of it and engages in the flywheel teeth; the latter begins to spin up and the car engine starts. Bendix has a "cunning" design: after the car engine starts up, the overrunning clutch gear begins to spin in the opposite direction (due to the fact that the angular speed of the operating engine is greater than that provided by the starter), then it is disconnected from the crankshaft flywheel shaft and starter is disconnected. Thanks to the overrunning clutch:

there is no overload of the starter shaft, which increases the service life of the entire starting device;
damage to the flywheel teeth is prevented;
reduced mechanical noise.

High-strength steel grades are used for the manufacture of bendix. However, over time, the gear teeth wear out, and it begins to slip without engaging the crankshaft flywheel crown. In the event of a breakdown, the symptoms of a bendix malfunction are as follows:

After switching the ignition key to the "start" mode, the starter motor starts to rotate, but the engine does not start.
When the starter is turned on, a metallic sound ("ratchet") is heard: this means that the bendix comes into contact with the flywheel crown with difficulty.
The promotion of a car engine begins "one time".
It starts very badly on a cold
After the engine has started to work, the metallic grinding does not stop (stop the engine immediately);

First, you need to dismantle the starting device itself, having previously disconnected the positive terminal from the battery, and from the starter - the wire going to the solenoid relay. Removing the starting device (most often it is fixed with three bolts) is possible from above or below (an inspection hole will be needed) - it all depends on the brand of the car. Along the way, inspect the flywheel teeth: if they are badly worn out, you will have to change the crown or the entire flywheel. After the starter is on the desktop, dismantle (if necessary, here again, everything depends on the model of the machine) of the retractor relay. Next comes the removal of the bendix:

Unscrew the nuts securing the vertical studs (there are usually three of them) and, lightly tapping with a rubber mallet, separate the starter housing. Taking this opportunity, visually assess the condition of the brushes and windings.

Use a flat screwdriver to hook the bendix by the ears and pull it out of the plug.

Take a hammer that matches the diameter of the overrunning clutch shaft with an open-end wrench and remove the first retaining ring, the second can be moved with a flat screwdriver.

Now we remove the starter bendix itself.

If you are in no hurry to change the bendix, then it is worth testing it. To do this, clamp the freewheel body, already removed from the starter, through a soft gasket (for example, a rag), to prevent damage, clamp it in a vice. Try scrolling the bendix left and right. It should rotate only in one direction, because when you try to turn, a serviceable part will lock. If the overrunning clutch turns, it means that it will not engage with the teeth and the starter will "thresh" with no load. The serviceability of the gear can be determined visually: you will see the "eaten" teeth immediately. But if the starter is down, then you can understand this only by disassembling it. In this case, all "insides", including the gearbox, must be cleaned of dirt, dried grease and rinsed with clean gasoline. Next, you have to decide: is it possible to repair the bendix or you will need to purchase a new one.This can be done without removing the starter. To do this, turn on any speed, press the brake pedal and start the starter. If the car just jerked forward, then everything is fine - most likely, your freewheel is functional. The appearance of the sound of the armature rotation indicates a slipping of the bendix, which needs to be repaired or replaced with a new one.Is it possible to repair the starter bendix with your own hands? Quite! One of the "popular" methods is as follows. Submerge the unassembled starter motor completely in a suitable container of gasoline. Soak for 5-6 hours (you can leave it overnight). Without removing the device from the container, the freewheel gear in order to better clean the grooves. Remove the starter and dry well. Sometimes this simple operation helps. But if this does not happen, the device will have to be disassembled. After removing the bendix, inspect the fork that pushes it: if the part is worn out, then you need to put another one. Check the clearance on the armature shaft: if there is a backlash, it will not work to restore the mechanism - you will have to buy a new one. If there is no "bumpiness", then the bendix will be repaired.The procedure begins with disassembling the housing to get to the springs and rollers. They need to be pulled out, cleaned, rinsed in gasoline and wiped dry. Usually these parts do not wear out and do not require replacement, but nevertheless take a closer look at the rollers: if they have lost their cylindrical shape, then you will have to find normal ones (you need to change them in full). Most often, however, the problem lies in the gummy deposits on the inside of the yoke, which must be removed. Also remember to inspect the coupling housing for cracks. If any, replace the part. You also need to inspect the teeth of the gear: if they are worn out, then you will have to look for a new one or change the entire drive. Now collect the bendix and check, holding it in a vice: a working device will turn in one direction. Lubricate the restored mechanism with engine oil before installation.

Bendix is a non-separable unit and can be changed as an assembly. However, an attempt to "resuscitate" can also be useful, if the car is rare, spare parts are only ordered to order, and you need to drive now. Replacing the bendix in this way is postponed until the part arrives, and in case of a minor malfunction, you can even continue to drive with the restored one.

Checking the bendix begins with an external inspection of the gear. It should have straight teeth with a pronounced or slightly rounded lead-in chamfer to facilitate engagement with the flywheel. Without this chamfer, with a probable "tooth to tooth" stitching, the starter will not rotate the flywheel until the crankshaft is displaced by a small angle.

The presence of chips and cracks on the teeth is unacceptable.

How to check the starter bendix? Fix its outer cage (wedging it with a powerful screwdriver against the body) and turn the gear in both directions. In one, it should turn easily, in the other, it should be tightly blocked. Difficulty scrolling to the “idle” side indicates that the rollers are wedged or the bendix is dirty.

Regardless of whether you are going to replace the bendix or rebuild, you first have to remove it from the starter. There are two types of starters:

With a "beak", where the front support of the starter shaft is made in its housing.
And without the "beak", where the front starter support bushing sits in the crankcase.

The most common mechanisms of the first type, "beak" are familiar from the VAZ "eighth" family.

Since it is possible to change the bendix on the starter only by removing the starter itself, the "mass" of the battery is first disconnected, and the power cable and the control wire of the retractor relay are removed from the starter. Having unscrewed the starter mounts to the crankcase, we take it out.

Regardless of the design of the starter, the solenoid relay is first removed, since its plug further interferes. We unscrew the nut on the power terminal of the starter winding, remove the terminal, then unscrew the screws connecting the retractor with the body. We take out the relay coil, after which the core can be easily disconnected from the bendix plug.

Then we disassemble the starter. After unscrewing the longitudinal tie bolts of the covers, remove the "beak" or the front cover of the starter. After that, you can easily remove the plug from the bendix and pull the rotor towards you.

A thrust bushing is installed on the rotor, which limits the bendix travel. Before removing the bendix from the starter, it is necessary to compress this bushing. In garage conditions, an open-end wrench is used that jaws on the rotor shaft, but rests against the sleeve with jaws. Having firmly fixed the key in a vise, we rest the thrust sleeve on its jaws and apply a sharp blow to the end of the shaft through a drift made of durable wood, copper or aluminum, so as not to damage the shaft itself. After that, the retaining ring, installed inside the sleeve, jumps off the groove and releases it. After removing the bushing, pull the retaining ring off the shaft by prying it off with a thin screwdriver.

After that we take out the bendix assembly.The installation of the bendix is carried out in the reverse order, and the main difficulties are caused by pressing the thrust sleeve back. It should be noted that it is asymmetrical - on one side there is a wide chamfer, which makes it easier to enter the retaining ring. When the sleeve is removed, the retaining ring is deformed and must be straightened before reassembly. The thrust sleeve must be pushed onto the retaining ring without skewing, otherwise the edge may be squeezed out of the groove on the rotor, the ring will bend and prevent the thrust sleeve from being pressed into place.

Something else useful for you:

Do-it-yourself repair of the starter bend is possible if the rollers are worn out first of all, or if the source of problems is contamination or frozen grease.

Bendix is assembled on rolling, and the outer sleeve of the coupling is made of durable metal. It is difficult to flare it, so the fastest way is to carefully cut through the clip with a grinder.

Knocking down the weakened clip from the bendix, remove the gear, rollers and springs from it. Having washed the insides, we check the absence of deep nicks in the grooves of the coupling and on the shank of the gear.

We inspect the rollers: the surface should be cylindrical, without signs of wear. Replacement rollers can be found by disassembling a roller bearing of a suitable size (you can find the bearing parameters in the reference books). We stretch the weakened springs by a couple of millimeters or select new ones.

After assembling the bendix dry, we check its operation by turning the gear in the direction of jamming: the rollers should block the bendix, after turning in the opposite direction, immediately release the gear.

Before assembling, add medium viscosity grease to the bendix so that it does not thicken too much in the cold. Moreover, there should be a minimum of lubrication: its task is to protect the insides of the coupling from corrosion, abundant lubrication only interferes.

Putting the clip in place, we fix the edges of the cut with spot welding. In this case, it is impossible to overheat the bendix; it is better to use a semiautomatic device. We clean the protruding welding so that it does not interfere with the movement of the bendix in the starter housing.

An extremely important element of an automobile engine, the starter motor enables it to start by turning the ignition key. Of course, if it is fully functional and the battery is charged. Naturally, like any electric motor, an automobile starter requires a fairly careful attitude and periodic preventive measures. So, during operation, you should remember about the short-term mode of its operation - no more than 15 seconds, and in case of an unsuccessful start-up attempt, the break should be at least 30 seconds.

An element such as a bendix is of sufficient importance in the design, in the event of a failure of which it will be impossible to start the engine. The breakdown is indicated by a characteristic metallic sound when trying to start the engine. Despite the fact that the electric motor is in perfect working order, the breakage of the bendix makes it impossible to start the engine. As a rule, it is impractical to repair the bendix, and if problems arise with it, it is much easier to replace it with a new one - this will prevent the imbalance of the internal mechanisms and significantly extend its service life.

Bendix, or freewheel, is used to transfer rotation from the starter to the engine crankshaft and spin it up. The design of the bendix is such that after a successful start of the engine and the beginning of its independent rotation, its gear is disconnected from the crankshaft, and the starter stops working. Despite the high-quality steel from which the bendix is made, its teeth wear out over time, which leads to difficulties when trying to start the car - the gear simply slips and is not able to hook the crankshaft flywheel.