Starter running backwards

I have been troubleshooting my TO35 to get it to run right. Finally got the air cleaner cleaned and the engine running much better.

After idling the engine for several minutes, I turned it back off and attempted to restart it.

When I pressed the starter button the starter cranked, the motor coughed and the starter disengaged and whined. When I pressed the starter button again, the starter tried to engage but hit the flywheel that was still turning. It made a grinding noise like you get when you try to start a car that is already running.

When I let everything settle down and stop spinning, I hit the starter button again. The starter just ran and did not engage the starter gear. I figured that something had broke.

Took the starter off, cracked the case and looked for broken parts. Everything looked good. Put it back together, installed it back on the tractor and tried to start it again. The starter again just spun without engaging.

Took the starter back off and performed a bench test with a battery charger. I tested the charger with a volt meter and registered 13v pos coming off of the charger.

Grounded the charger to the housing and touched the positive clip to the positive bolt on the starter housing.

The starter is now running backwards for some reason.

When I connected the ground clip on the charger to the bolt on the housing and touched the housing with the positive clip, the motor still runs backwards.

Any ideas on either what is wrong or how to get the starter running forwards again?
 
This is really strange! Never, ever seen a starter reverse rotation...

Someone else posted a reversed starter problem on a Japanese ATV, but a completely different design starter, and still a mystery of how it happens, but a common problem with that model.

All I can think of is the brush holders are somehow assembled wrong? But I don't think that is possible.

Typically when the symptoms you describe happen, the starter drive clutch is bad. Not sure what drive you have.Some are a one way clutch type. It will be impossible to turn one way, and difficult to turn the other. If it turns freely either direction it is bad. The other type uses a ramped tooth ratchet. They rarely fail but should turn one way, not the other.

Try double checking the rotation, try it with a battery instead of a charger, don't know what difference it would make, but just an idea. And look the drive gear over carefully.

Let us know, I want to know how this pans out!
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top