foot starter bushing in bell housing

[danorte]

Good after noon all. My 1950 cj3a foot pedal starter hits against the fly wheel. New starter and fly wheel at rebuild. I did not at the time replace the bushing in the bellhousing that supports the nose, shaft of the starter. I have read the list, about replacing it with engine out. Has anyone replaced this bushing with the starter out and the engine in. I read there is a plug at the back of the bellhousing that is press fit but can the bushing be driven out the back of the bell houseing? along with the dorman plug? Help. I really need the jeep but facing pulling the motor to replace this one small part is frustrating. What say you all jeepeers. help. North

[Carls_jeep]

All you have to do is pull the starter and use a 9/16" fine thread tap( you can use a 9/16" coarse tap) with an extension and tap the bushing about 1" deep. Then take a piece of all thread and a flat bar, drill a 5/8" hole in the bar, screw the all thread in the bushing, put the bar on the all thread and use a nut to pull the bushing.

You can make a driver out of a piece of rod that is at least 1/8" bigger per side than the OD of the bushing . Chuck the rod in a drill press and with a file reduce the diameter so the bushing slides on. Then drive the bushing in and the shoulder will set it flush with the housing.

That bushing is very important because it supports the end of the starter armature and if it's worn the bendix will get pushed away from the starter causing excess wear on the gear teeth and it will put excess stress on the armature shaft.

Fill the bushing about 1/2 way with white Lubriplate grease or high temp wheel bearing grease.

Do you mean the foot button pushes the bendix to far into the flywheel ring gear?

[danorte]

Thank you Carlsjeep. will try this next weekend. It feels like the starter bendix is hitting on the face of the flywheel. Solid chunk when pushing the starter pedal. No engagment. If I rotate the engine by hand it will sometimes engage. No marks on fly wheel and no other abnormalities I could see. Will replace the bushing and let you know what happens. Thank you again. North

[Carls_jeep]

It sounds like the starter may be assembled wrong. Measure the distance the cup that could be touching the flywheel comes out of the starter when you push the lever all the way and see if that distance is greater than the distance from the starter mount face to the flywheel.

Tell me if it comes out to farther than the distance to the flywheel.

[ventport]

You said you replaced the flywheel.  Are you sure you got the correct one, there are a few different ones and you may have one that is too big for your application.  Check here:     http://www.autoelec.com/html/willys_ring_gear_comparison.html

[Bedrock]

While my engine is out for a rebuild, I decided to clean up my bell housing, paint it, and change the starter bushing.  After I got 60 years of hardened grease and oil off the bell housing I found that there was a circular plug covering the backside, or outside, of the bushing hole.  I knocked out the plug, and then it was easy to tap the bushing out.  My jeep is a 1951, and I don't know if this is the original bell housing or not, so I can't say whether or not everyone can remove the starter bushing the way I did.  I can say that it was a very easy job on my bell housing.  Hopefully this will be of help to someone.

[Carls_jeep]

Yes, that's the easy way when the bell housing is out of the Jeep but you don't want to try that with it in the Jeep. You can drive the bushing and welsh plug out from the starter side but getting the welsh plug back in and sealed is a real hard job in the Jeep.

[danorte]

Thank you all so much. Will try the tap and pull method as soon as I can get it in to the barn. Again my thanks. North

[danorte]

Carlsjeep. Just to clarify. I can drive out the bushing and the dorman plug from the starter side, out the backside of the bell housing? there is no ridge or shoulder to hold the bushing from going to far when inserted?? If so then carefully drive in new bushing till flush with inner aspect of bell housing ?? Thank you again. North

[Carls_jeep]

Yes, just drive it in flush but be sure the welsh plug is still there to keep dirt and water out.

[hawkjeep]

Were can I get that bushingfor the starter and bellhousing

[Carls_jeep]

Walcks has them http://walcks4wd.com/bushing-bell-housing-starter.html