1641 Starting Issues

[Tankman]

The one bolt, yes a pain in the you know what.

Replaced my starter using Allen head bolts. God luck.

[Mike McKown]

Use a 1/4" inch drive, 1/2" wiggly socket with the hex ground short just enough to capture the head of the bolt. A Craftsman socket works well for this.

When you go back together, use an allen head metriic bolt for easy access.

[RumbleFish]

Originally Posted by Mike McKown

When you go back together, use an allen head metriic bolt for easy access.

I really wish I would have thought of this when I changed my starter

[Mike McKown]

Originally Posted by RumbleFish

I really wish I would have thought of this when I changed my starter

I don't know why Briggs didn't think of it. Maybe it was too simple.

[Rainman4820]

Ok, so I am getting close to getting the bolt in question off of the starter. A set of 3' needle nose pliers, sheetrock, toothpaste and some Klennex wipes and I should have it.
And great ideas, I do plan to reassemble with allen head bolts.

I decided to take another look at the starter to see if I could determine the problem. The teeth in the gear appear slightly worn but not bad, however, as the starter turns, the clutch seems to revolve within the gear like its not catching. Shaft turns but not the clutch or gear from what I can see.

So....instead of rebuilding, I am thinking of just getting a new starter. Any advice on starters I should avoid? I see some new ones listed on Amazon and eBay for about $30 but not OEM and no brands I recognize. I would be happy to do business with a site sponsor or supporter if available.
Thanks!

[Mike McKown]

You can buy a starter drive kit like this one.

https://www.dbelectrical.com/product...iABEgK_MfD_BwE

[Rainman4820]

OK so it's been a couple of weeks so as a refresher I have been removing a starter from my 1641. Finally got it off. In the highly unlikely event that any one experiences the same problem, the fix for the the top bolt removal for me involved taking a 13mm socket and cutting off the business end until only about 1/8" of the socket grips the bolt head. It was harder that it sounds but worked.

In the process of replacing the starter I noticed another issue that I wanted to bring to everyone's attention. There are a set of wires and associated connections that come from behind the firewall to the regulator. One wire was frayed with only a few strands holding it together. (See picture)

I spliced the connection (I was out of end to end splice connections and didn't want to drive 45 minutes) using a female and male connection. (See picture) Problem is that this set of wires runs behind the starter. This type of connection created a bit of an issue, however, I finally got the wire situated and the starter installed. I tested the old starter vs. the new and the old is much weaker. I doubt the frayed wire played into the problem but who cares at this point.

Charging the battery now and will let you know when I cross the finish line. Thanks for your input.

[Sam Mac]

Those 2 wires are from the stator, the yellow plug goes to the voltage regulator. You should inspect the teeth on the ring gear while you have the starter out just to make sure they are all good.