Speedex 1630 Starter Issue

I m working on a Speedex Model 1630 tractor that has been restored and sitting in a garage for 5 years. Trying to get it running , I notice the plastic starter drive gear springs backwards AWAY from the flywheel ring gear when i turn the key. What is casing this and what would the solution be?? I made sure the battery is connected properly.

Briggs engine with a permanent-magnet starter, I believe?

Sounds like the starter is turning backwards.

Permanent-magnet starters will do that if fed with reversed voltage, or if they've been disassembled and the center part with the magnets has been somehow installed in a different position than original, swapping the location of the magnets, or the magnets have come unglued and have been reinstalled in the wrong positions.

(quoted from post at 20:22:28 04/21/19) Briggs engine with a permanent-magnet starter, I believe?

Sounds like the starter is turning backwards.

Permanent-magnet starters will do that if fed with reversed voltage, or if they've been disassembled and the center part with the magnets has been somehow installed in a different position than original, swapping the location of the magnets, or the magnets have come unglued and have been reinstalled in the wrong positions.

Click to expand...

Does anything need to be polarized? Is there a quick fix? What if I reversed the battery cables to the "incorrect" positions.

(quoted from post at 22:04:31 04/21/19)

(quoted from post at 20:22:28 04/21/19) Briggs engine with a permanent-magnet starter, I believe?

Sounds like the starter is turning backwards.

Permanent-magnet starters will do that if fed with reversed voltage, or if they've been disassembled and the center part with the magnets has been somehow installed in a different position than original, swapping the location of the magnets, or the magnets have come unglued and have been reinstalled in the wrong positions.

Click to expand...

Does anything need to be polarized? Is there a quick fix? What if I reversed the battery cables to the "incorrect" positions.

Click to expand...

Anyone have any suggestions? I m gonna head up there tomorrow for an hour.

(quoted from post at 22:50:21 04/22/19)

(quoted from post at 22:04:31 04/21/19)

(quoted from post at 20:22:28 04/21/19) Briggs engine with a permanent-magnet starter, I believe?

Sounds like the starter is turning backwards.

Permanent-magnet starters will do that if fed with reversed voltage, or if they've been disassembled and the center part with the magnets has been somehow installed in a different position than original, swapping the location of the magnets, or the magnets have come unglued and have been reinstalled in the wrong positions.

Click to expand...

Does anything need to be polarized? Is there a quick fix? What if I reversed the battery cables to the "incorrect" positions.

Click to expand...

Anyone have any suggestions? I m gonna head up there tomorrow for an hour.

Click to expand...

Do you know any history, when did it last work, has the starter ever been worked on or changed?



Verify that the starter is actually turning backwards.

Looking at the flywheel, it turns clockwise, so the starter gear has to turn the other way.

ASSUMING this is a permanent magnet starter, once you're sure the starter is turning backwards, check that the battery is connected properly, and that the battery is not charged backwards. (YES, this can happen.)

Using a digital voltmeter, touch the meter's red lead to the battery's (+) post and the black lead to the (-) post.

If the battery would happen to be charged backwards, the meter will show a "-" in front of the voltage reading.

Post back with what you find!