Starter Bendix

[Simplecity 22]

Good Day All

   Is there a downside to swapping a ten tooth bendix drive with a thirteen tooth? Both appear to engage the flywheel properly. Is the difference cranking speed? Although the thirteen engages deeper and contacts more teeth.  Does one provide more torque? This is on a Kohler 321 AQS. The replacement starter number from Kohler is now 45 098 09S. Not sure of of the number of teeth (the pics look like 10.

  Thanks to All who respond.

     Simplecity

 

 

  

[lynnmor 7,788]

I don't know if both will fit your engine.  A 10 tooth would have a slower cranking speed with more torque.

[Achto 29,351]

11 hours ago, Simplecity said:

 Is there a downside to swapping a ten tooth bendix drive with a thirteen tooth?

 

You may have to shim the starter when mounting it to get a proper tooth engagement. I recently had to do this on an engine that I built as the 13 tooth would not engage the ring gear. I made a plate the same size as the starter mount to use as a shim, forget how thick it was though.

 

After shimming. I actually was able to get it a little tighter than this pic shows.

 

Before shimming. The starter gear would hit the back of the ring gear instead of engaging the teeth.

Edited May 29, 2024 by Achto

[953 nut 59,746]

      If memory serves me right the ten tooth bendix gear is for the big block (10 to 16 HP) and the thirteen tooth is for the small block engines.