9N Starter Issues, spins and doesn't engage.

I'm new here, so bear with me. Not used to this forum software yet. Been a member for years but never posted much.

Background: I just got this '39 9N from my dad. He's been through it and worked everything over and has it all clean and nice...but he hasn't got the starter worked out yet.

Problem: After the tractor sets over night or longer, the starter will just spin freely and not engage the fly wheel. At that point, I keep trying, rock the wheels, and make up several new cuss words. After 10 minutes of fighting....it will magically engage and start it with no problems.

Dad said he has had a guy rebuild and check the starter three times trying to fix it.

I've never had it apart yet, but when I take it off, what kind of things do I look for? It seems like it is gummed up and the starter gear isn't fling out....but it is a new rebuild with less than 20 starts on it. I don't get it.

Advice? Thanks in advance. I'll be following up with some generator questions once I figure this out.

4X4........the starter is a suck-em up from behind design. Yer 6" starter shaft must be SQUEAKY CLEAN. Remove the 2 8-in screws and pull the starter motor out about 1/2-in and HOZE yer starter BENDIX with brake shoe cleaner. Letter drain out the 2-holes in tranny housing. While ya gotta 1/2-in out, SANDPAPER both sides before re-installing. Lets hope yer rebuilder used the modern clutch style Bendix 'stedda the long screw style. mox-nix. BOTH gotta be squeaky clean........HTH, the clean Dell

Every time I have had a problem like yours, it was a bad bendix.

4x4dually,You might want to replace the antiquated OEM spring type starter drive,that doesn't want to engage or stay engaged to get your engine started.Replace it with the new clutch style drive that works so much better. You can get one right here from our host.
Starter Drive

go buy a 2$ CAN OF WALMART BRAKE SPRAY CLEANER.

TAKE YOUR STARTER OFF, NUT ONE OF THE BOLTS TO HOLD IT'S GUTZ IN.

(phone.. darn caps )

Hose the drive gear down, and inspect it's teeth, and the ring gear. on the ring gear look for a worn spot the engine may be stopping at, And/or chewed up teeth.

if no worn spot or bad teeth, look at the starter shaft for burs, bends, nicks or divots, worn spots, etc. anything that could keep it from sucking in. many times it's just gummy grease, and bad connections, bad cables, weak batteries not providing enough spin.

Put your battery on a charger. (see tip # 60)

You need a strong battery to:

1. Spin the starter

2. Engage the bendix

3. Provide voltage to the coil.

A weak battery will spin the starter, but not have enough current left to engage the Bendix.

If that doesn't work. it's time to pull the starter.

The starter has 3 major exterior components; front plate, barrel & rear plate. The 2 bolts that hold the starter on to the bell housing go through all three components & hold it all together. To remove the starter, unscrew the bolts out of the block & put a nut on one of them. Otherwise, the starter comes apart. Not fatal, but not fun either. (tip # 36 at the link
below) Then, loosen the two bolts holding the oil filter canister to the block, (it does not need to be removed) remove the dipstick, and keep the starter close to the block while pushing the front of it down and lifting the back up. Sometimes you have to remove the drain petcock as well.The bendix is behind the flywheel; your job is to get it over the flywheel.

Caution: while the starter is off, resist the temptation to screw with the bendix. If you extend the bendix, and it is not the OEM bendix w/ the big spring, you will have a hard time getting the starter installed.

Follow directions from soundguy & Dell to clean the shaft & inspect the starter.

To install the starter, keep it close to the block while pulling the front of it up and pushing the bendix back into the hole. The bendix has to go behind the flywheel; your job is to get it over the flywheel.

Lastly, while the starter is off, polish the block & all starter mating surfaces w/ sandpaper to insure a good electrical ground. First, clean the mating area between the barrel and rear plate. Then, clean the mating surfaces where the aluminum rear plate meets the bell housing. The starter's ground circuit is not only through the two long bolts but from the barrel to the rear plate & then to the bell housing as well.
75 Tips

Thanks everyone! I kept waiting for the subscription to the thread to notify me by email when replies were posted...didn't get any so I came to look.

I'll dig into it next week and see what I can find. The battery is brand new, I just bought it, however, when testing the voltage on the posts while the tractor is running it only tests 6.17 VDC. I'll have to dig into the generator next as I don't think it is charging the new battery. Surely it should read higher than 6.17 if it is charging. The amp meter on the tractor also never comes off center and the lights won't illuminate past a faint, yellow, glow. That's another day. I've got some books and will do some research before I go asking stupid questions about it that I may already have the answers for and don't know it.