OK, so a "search" revealed several posts/threads on tricks to get the starter back IN. How about getting the @#^$%!! thing OUT? Sheesh, my son is flying up this weekend to take his 1961 Galaxie out of storage and drive it from RI to NC. Well, I took it out of storage and when I was showing it to a mechanic friend of mine he casually mentioned "sounds like your bendix is going out." I figured I'd fix that for my son. How hard can it be? I've changed dozens of starters in my life, oughta take about 20 minutes. Weil.... I've exhausted my knowledge of swear words and the starter is still dangling. It seems to me that the bendix is fully out and the starter body is hitting the cross member and there isn't enough room. I see in some of the old posts that Ted suggested turning the wheels all the way to one side. So, I'll try that in the morning and I'll jack up the other side of the car too to let the suspension/wheels hang. Any other tips? I read one post where somebody changed the bendix while it was still in the car but I didn't understand how to do that. I've got to get this back together by Sunday. Hopefully.



Thanks.



Seth

They are not one of fords better ideas, though as a starter motor they don't give a lot of trouble. You need the car jacked up with suspension and steering hanging down. Then it is just a matter of wriggling it around till it falls out and then try and repeat the process to get it back in. I have changed a bendix in a manual Ozzy car through the bellhousing cos I just didnt want to drop all the clutch linkage and I was working on a 4 post hoist.

If the starter motor is working fine and the is returning fully I would just leave it. The starters always sound different on a Y block which is part of their charm and to the uninitiated may sound faulty.

Regards

Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!

Thanks. Your opening line made me laugh. When I showed the new/replacement bendix to my mechanic friend, he started holding it the "right" way around and I said "yeah but this one goes in the reverse direction." He just looked at me. I said "its a Ford."



But, I digress. If I can get it back together, MAYBE I'll just leave it in--- about every other time you go to start the car, it just whirrrrs but doesn't engage. I just wait and then hit the key again and she fires right up. But, I figured I was doing my son a favor if I changed it for him now. Tomorrow is a new day--- perhaps I'll hold my tongue in just the right position and it will come out smoothly. Hah! (his car has a two-speed automatic hooked up to the 292).

I think that since you started on this you should go ahead and replace it. Once those drives "give up the ghost" you are dead in the water. If the drive hangs out & doesnt return they are really difficult to remove. 61 is actually one of the "easier" ones to remove. Be happy its not a 55 or 56. Just find the right angle & the right words and Im sure you can get it out.

Dan      Kingman Az.      86409

If keeping things original is not a big issue, one option to solve the problem permanently in the future is to change to a high torque mini starter. They are definately more expensive than a Bendix drive, but are much smaller and lighter.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Replace this triumph of Ford wisdom and ingenuity? Blasphemy!. Never.



But I like the other post above gently telling me I'm screwed because the bendix is extended and won't retract... Jacking the car up soon. Practicing my swear words now......

You need to pull it back and get it near vertical. It passes between the tie rod and the A frame. You need to have the steering turned just the right way but if the car is jacked up you can just push the wheel back and forth. If push and shove meet just right it almost falls out. If not you can always remove the tie rod end and drop the tie rod down.  It is usually a wrestling match. I've fought some for what seems like hours. Then suddenly its out and I'm not sure why. This is one of the real adventures for Y's Guys. Enjoy. Chuck

PS before you give up just think what a mechanic would charge to do the job!

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Thanks everyone for the tips and encouragement. I jacked the car up off both wheels today and spun the steering wheel in all sorts of directions but NO luck so far.... I think I have a real problem because the bendix is totally extended. I can, barely, get a few fingers in the bell housing and can start to spring some of the bendix forward toward the gear end of the bendix but I can't do that and move the starter around looking for the magic position at the same time. I really can't see how to get the starter anywhere near vertical given that the bendix is extended. I guess tomorrow I will try dropping the tie rod as suggested. This is ridciculous.... I've got 4 hours anc conting into changing a bleeping starter.

Seth,

I've done one a few time on my Australian 56 Mainline. In Australia we have the steering box,  clutch and gearbox linkages in that same space.  I remember removing the entire clutch mechanism undoing one of the engine mounts and jacking the engine for space. I think it took 6-8 hours just to remove and reinstall.

The bendix is at the end of the shaft so it needs to come around the flywheel. Stick with it.

The first removal was because the bendix failed and was in permeant engagement with the flywheel. Luckily  we were visiting my inlaws, still three hours drive home but I had a place with tools to fix it.

Cheers

Warren 

Grizzly (Aussie Mainline)

If you cannot remove the starter because the bendix is extended and if the starter will start the engine, bolt the starter back in place and start the engine.  This will retract the bendix.  Then without trying to crank to engine again, remove the starter.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"