84 Honda Spee starter motor

[northy208]

I have an 84 honda spree and have a small issue with the electric starter motor or bendix. I bought a new battery and the starter relay is good. The starter motor spins strong it seems and looks and sounds good. When i hit the start button the benix doesn't come out and engage the drive gear. It just spins. It does spin clockwise along with starter motor So if I replace the bendix would this fix it? This Spree has 2100 miles on it. Any help would be great!

And if I have to remove the drive gear to get the bendix out, how do I go about doing that?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

On the SE/05 and SA/16 variated engines, the Bendix can be wriggled out without disturbing the outer pulley at all. I'm pretty sure the NQ/05 engine is the same way. If not, numerous methods to immobilize the crank pulley can be found in Tech Documents - look in the belt replacement or variator tuning threads. A strap wrench like the ones to muscle oil filters - can work. Pay close attention on reassembly not to crush the crank splines when you tighten the pulley nut.

[northy208]

How do I know if the Bendix is bad or good?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

If you can pluck the Bendix from its socket, check the smaller teeth where it's geared to the starter motor. Look at the starter motor shaft's teeth as well.

The larger Bendix teeth - the ones that mesh with the outer Drive pulley - should slide easily in and out. It's got a ratchet mechanism in there that lock it up once the ring of cogs slides out. Remember the Spree spins clockwise at the crank, so the correct bendix locks up when spun counter-clockwise. Once the engine kicks over, it knocks the bendix ring back in so as to "let go".

[northy208]

Ok, well this makes sense now. My Bendix was locking good in counter clockwise rotation with the drive gear when i got the spree, but I read on here that it had to be rotating clockwise to engage drive gear and get the correct engine rotation. So, i further read that in turning the starter can only 180 around you can reverse the starter rotation. So i did and it worked. But then the Bendix went lame and just spun with starter. I would have questioned this earlier but just became a member and no can post Q's. So I'll reverse the can back to it's original spot and give it a shot. I do have a new battery now and did not when I first tried starting before messing with starter. Is this the right thing to do now? Thanks