M38 starter removel "blind" bolt head?

1950 - 1952, M38, questions, discussions, regarding anything related to the M38.
Joe Gopan
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Re: M38 starter removel "blind" bolt head?

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:37 pm

Jeep flywheel ring gear teeth are beveled on the side toward the starter.
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Re: M38 starter removel "blind" bolt head?

Post by signsup » Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:53 am

Got the starter rebuilt. Solinoid was bad and was $165 part. New brushes, spring and Bendix, etc. and $65 labor, so we got out just under $300 for a 24v starter. Installed this morning, adjusted linkeage and she fired right up and runs great. Drilled a small hole in the snorter aft of the muffler but prior to the upward bend and it drained water and soot, so that was a nice tip from the forum. Loaded on the trailer and ready for the ATL parade in the morning. We'll take the GPW and machine gun trailer.

Fingers crossed everything runs well in the chilly morning.
Robert Brough
Winston, GA
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Re: M38 starter removel "blind" bolt head?

Post by signsup » Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:33 am

Well, this M38 is the gift that keeps on giving . . . us problems, that is. Loaded it on the trailer Friday and it ran like it never ran before. Get to the parade staging area and the kit the starter foot pedal and the Bendix spins and races like crazy, but not engaging into the flywheel. So, we scrath our heads trying to gifure out the mechanical operation of the starter rod linkeage and why the Bendix would sping before it engages. But, we clutch start it and when it stalled out, the starter works great. so, I'm thinking some teeth missing on the gear ring and it was just pot luck that is where the starter landed. If anyone else has a different theory, that is the one we will proceed to investigate. Told the owner to just keep driving it and starting it and if it happends again, to put the jeep in gear and rock it and if the starter then engages, we've probably got some bad teeth. Rather not pull the entire starter again to inspect the entire ring gear at this time.

Then, developed fuel delivery problem, … but that's for another thread.
Robert Brough
Winston, GA
2018 MVPA Honor Service Award
President, GA MVPA

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: M38 starter removel "blind" bolt head?

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:52 am

Note the Plunger Adjusting Screw. You have to coordinate the travel of the Plunger with the travel of the drive gear.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


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