Re: Dave's starter

["Jay Mackro" <jmackro@domain.elided>]

"Dave Partridge" <veloce76@domain.elided> had asked:

>2: My starter occaisionally spins without engaging the drive gear,
>no grinding, just spins up all by itself. It always catches enevtually 
>without turning the crank manually so I assume the ring gear is OK.
>The question is, can the solenoid be removed for cleaning without
>removing the starter?

Dave:  I would NOT assume that the ring gear is OK.  It could 
well be missing a tooth, and if the engine manages to stop at the
"toothless" spot, the starter will have trouble.  Once it gets the
engine turning, there is enough momentum (it is a "fly" wheel,
after all) to hop over the missing tooth.

You can easily remove the solenoid with the starter in place.
However, it's pretty much impossible to put back on, because
the lever that connects the solenoid plunger to the starter drive
will push in as you try to hook the actuator rod back into place.
Taking the starter out isn't all that difficult (I assume you have
a 105 or 115 4 cylinder Alfa - if you have a 6 cyl, I have no idea).
Also, with the starter out, you could rotate the engine, and
examine the ring gear for missing teeth by looking through
the hole the starter came out of.  Or, remove the sheetmetal
plate that bolts to the bellhousing in front of the flywheel, and
do a dental exam there.

Or, just always park at the top of a hill...

Jay Mackro

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