Bendix engagement into ring gear

I'm in the process of replacing a ring gear on my 8N, along with the Bendix on the starter motor. I had replaced the Bendix just recently from the old style to the newer style spring enclosed faster acting Bendix. However one of the mounting bolts came loose on the starter and I didn't notice it and while cranking over the new bendix and rig gear became damaged. I've fixed the bolt loosening problem but in dissassembly I noticed that the ring gear shows a lot of wear only half way onto the teeth, almost like the Bendix gear was engaging only half way. Your pretty much at the mercy of factory and after market quality to know if these gears mate correctly. On the new Bendix I did receive a 6MM pin for reassembly and the hole in the starter motor is for a 1/4 inch pin. I took my old pin and had to make it a little shorter to fit the new bendix after compressing the Bendix spring for assembly but I don't think that should have had a major change on the in/out location of Bendix gear? I also noticed a lot of very fine shaving/slivers of steel in the clutch housing once I split the 8N. What I'm wondering is, is there any location proceedure or check to see if the Bendix gear and the ring gear would be matting properly prior to assembly? The radial location will be the same because the starter solenoid is always on the top of starter so that can't have any option of being different. Just want to make very sure that once I get all my parts and get her back together, that I don't have the same problem again with Bendix and ring gear not being that nice smooth starting sound.

Thanks

On very few tractors do the bendex and ring gear engage completely.

i have split many tractors (of different brands)with worn out ring gears and simply removed the gear and put it on backwards. never had a problem with any of them.

I know Ford had two different armatures. The difference is about 1/4 in the lenegth of the shaft.

My 9n is on 12volts. I've never had a problem with the ring gear. it did break the bindex spring.

You can install the starter and engage it with jumper cables before you put the tractor together to check the bendix engagement but don't expect it to go much more than half way into the ring gear.

Mark