Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have an Ariens 926PRO (model #926004) with 120v electric start which I use almost exclusively to start the machine. Today I went to start it up, and the electric starter sounds very sick, makes a much higher pitch squealing noise than usual and some other crunching type noises. Engine does not start. If I pull start, the engine starts fine. Unit was recently in the service position and I tightened up everything in the owners manual to spec with regards to controls and auger belt. Unit started by electric right after this, and that was 3-4 days ago. Now this. I have a youtube video of the problem here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFQtmSkE18c

What am I looking at here? A bad starter motor? Does something else need fixing/adjustment? Help would be appreciated. I would like to try to repair this myself.

I think your electric starter is shot - it might be more cost effective to buy a new starter unit and replace it yourself.  The high pitch from the starter sounds like you toasted the motor.

Sounds like the starter is not making contact with the flywheel.  The plastic gear on the starter is either frozen or stripped.
Sometimes it is just the bolts came loose, but I didn't see much wobble.

http://www.youtube.com/user/donyboy73#g/search

Go to his youtube channel and search for starter.

Definitely stop trying to use it until you fix it as all your doing is chewing the teeth up more.

dcassell wrote:
This happens a lot with my JD826.  Snow from blowing melts on the hot blower, runs into the starter mechanism and then freezes (unheated garage) locking the sliding pinion gear in place.  When you go to start  it, the starter spins rapidly because the pinion gear does not engage the flywheel.  Spin it too much and you will burn out  yur starter.  Solution is just to heat up the blower until it melts out.  Can you turn on the heat in your storage area?  If not, be VERY careful how you try to heat it cause you dont want a gasoline fire.  Maybe a hairblower would work as long as you dont heat the fuel line, carbureter or tank.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will pull the starter off and have a look.

you have either a bad bendix that is not engaging properly, a bad starter gear or just a frozen bendix drive that once thawed will work properly.  I would do as you said and pull the starter off and then bring it inside.  There is really not much to the bendix drive on the starter and you should be able to see what is going on. 

It might be more cost effective to change the starter then changing part(s) inside.

So I pulled the starter motor off (easy enough, two Torx style screws) and at the end of the starter motor shaft is a metal gear with a broken tooth. Can I somehow get this gear off and replace it, or do I have to replace the whole starter motor unit?

Thought those were all plastic.  You should look at the flywheel and make sure the ring gear isn't damaged there first.  Also, even with 1 chipped tooth, that should still work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVxvj-XtUT0

I still kind of think your problem is the gear isn't "unscrewing" when you use it.  When you hit the button for it, the gear unscrews down the motor shaft about an inch and engages the flywheel.  When you stop it there is a spring behind the plastic cup on the end of the gear that pushes it back.  Also the momentum from the flywheel probably pushes it back as well.

Why spend 160-180 for a new starter?  Just use the pull starter since it seems to work just fine.

How do I properly inspect flywheel/ring gear? Sorry, my first time with this stuff.

For what it's worth, the "springy" action of the gear seems fine.. and if I manually put pressure on it and twist it seems to wind out the shaft with ease.

You can probably look through the hole where the starter gear was at.  You should see a big gear on the edge of a giant metal disc.  You will have to slowly turn the engine to see the whole thing.  The other option would be pull the back cover off the engine.  If the spring was working and the gear unwinds itself, I wonder why it was not engaging.  Even with a bad tooth like that the other teeth should have caught.  Have you tried plugging the starter in while holding it and pushing the button?  Make sure to hold it tight, because it will jump out of your hand if you don't.

Make sure the engine is off when you turn it.  You don't want it to start.  If you pull the spark plug out, it will be a lot easier to turn and no chance of it starting.

 The gear is Tecumseh 37050, EOM $70, OEM under $20.   I've replaced them before but it's been a while and I forget how but it was easy.  If you go that way you can work drops of light oil on the punger and do that as a maintenance point easy year.

  You can do what you want but I would not use it with a broken tooth.   If you continue to use it more teeth will probably strip.

  Ring gear is probably fine but check as Shryp mentioned. 

   A not so nice part is chipped teeth can be picked up by the flywheel magnet and jam between the flywheel and legs of the coil.  The tooth may have fallen out of the cowling or be held by the magnet.  It may move later.  You can still pull the rope so if gone fine. if stuck to the magnet it may ride there and not move.  The odds are with you but still odds.

   The starter bodies with welded on fork type top U's sometimes have too much play and do just what yours has.  I don't think it's a major issue but I've seen a few just like yours and one that the teeth jamed between the magnet and coil leg.   

Thanks guys for all of the comments, and the parts numbers (trouts). I will not use the electric starter until I replace the gear on the starter and inspect the ring gear. In the danyboy video, he uses a special Tecumseh tool to get the gear off the starter. This tool kit is about $50. Any comments on the feasibility of doing this without the special tool set?

He said he used to do it all the time without the toolkit.  He finds it easier now.  If you are only doing it once then why bother spending the money.  The rubber should pop off with a screwdriver under it and that clip can probably be done with a screwdriver as well.