I was having problems with the starter not maintaining engagement with the flywheel. It seemed to be especially bad when the engine was warm. My dad said it’s probably the Bendix spring, so I ordered a new one on my favorite auto parts site, RockAuto.com. When I took the starter apart, I discovered there where multiple issues – not surprising for a 65+ year old truck and the starter looks original. It turns out the little “fork” that actuates the Bendix spring was missing a roller. I searched high-and-low for a replacement “fork” with no luck, so decided I’d improvise a repair. I measured the dimensions of the remaining roller and then found sealed (skateboard) bearings on Amazon.com that would work – for just $7 for a pack of 10 bearings. I drilled out the old studs that held the rollers, and then used pop rivets to attach the new bearings. The old forged rollers were now replaced with new sealed bearings – better than new. I’ve included some pictures here, but you can see more old truck pictures on my OneDrive.
wild sprout 