I have a Briggs and Stratton 16HP V-Twin OHV Vanguard Engine I am repairing. I am trying to replace the starter motor. . The bendix of the starter motor is plastic and has broken teeth and therefore does not engage with the main flywheel anymore.

In order to accomplish this task I have stripped the top of the engine down to the main flywheel. This is the only way I can see to gain access to allow one to replace the starter motor.

I have removed the bolt holding the horizontal flywheel in position but am unable to pull it upwards and clear of the spindle. I can only assume the wheel is sitting on a tapered vertical shaft and that it is a neat fit. I have tried to pull it off without success. I cannot understand why it will not come loose. Can anyone suggest how this comes off – if at all – or is thwere a better way?

My 20 hp v-twin has starter mounting bolts that go up through the starter from the unedrside. Try looking from under the starter, see two bolts? The plastic starter bendix gear is considered a sacrifial part, it goes bad and is easy to replace compared to the flywheel.

You can remove the starter without removing the flywheel. It is difficult, but there is two bolts that mount down through the top of the starter bracket. It takes a lot more time this way, but can be done. Also, be cautious with the flywheel, you have an aluminum housing underneath and if that becomes broken or cracked you have serious problems. Also, the underside of the flywheel has magnets so don't get too crazy with a hammer. There is a tool available from briggs and stratton for removing the flywheel. When used I hit it slightly with a hammer ( the top of the flywheel puller, not the flywheel). And it will pop off.

You will need a flywheel pulley. A bar w/central bolt & two bolts of proper diameter to screw into fw. Tighten central very hard and strike w/heavy hammer. May need several applications. This is very rudimentary, follow tool instructions or better yet buy small motor handbook ,if you are going to DIY they are invaluable, I have a dozen or so.

I have an 18 hp vanguard.
I cannot believe how difficult the starter removal is.
Are you saying leave the old starter bracket in and unbolt the starter motor housing?
Is taking the flywheel off really the only way?

Is it possible to remove the plastic bendix gear without removing the starter motor?

Phil, you should really just start your own new psot. You are tagging onto a 3 year old psot. To answer your question in one word, no. The strater must be dismounted from the block and flywheel to even see the bendix.

I just removed a starter from my snapper SR1642!! It has a Vanguard 16HP V-twin OHV engine and all I did was remove 1 bolt and 1 screw from little metal band around starter and removed 2 bolts holding starter to block,That's all there is to mine!! Jacks small engine.com has got a starter# SBSOOO4 $39!!

Wow, I just worked on this problem today. My bendix gear was completely stripped and not engaging the flywheel at all. There are two bolts at the top of the starter holding the starter to the block. The bolt on the left (facing) was no problem to remove at all but the right bolt is behind the bendix gear and "IMPOSSIBLE" to get out. I tried to take the bendix gear off off the top of the starter by driving out the roll pin holding the gear on. I was able to drive out the pin but the gear will not come off as the flywheel blocks it. After taking the pin out I was able to lift the bendix gear enough to pound on a socket enough to grab the bolt and get it turning. It was extremely frustrating to work on. I see Briggs and Stratton offers a special flex socket for the job but unfortunately I didn't have it or the time to find or order one. I would highly recommend the tool if you have the time. I will save a lot of frustration...

My engine is a 16hp Vanguard V-twin in an Agco-allis (Simplicity) riding mower.

Paul

I have the same engine in a Garden Way Troybuilt garden tractor. After removing the cover plate that protects the drive, I found that the starter motor is mounted to the engine via two 5/16 bolts that screw into the block horizontally. The bottom bolt can be removed with a 1/2 6 point socket with either a 1/4 or 3/8 drive extension. The top one is the same size but is partially hidden by the drive and doesn't allow access with a common 1/2 drive socket being slightly behind and to close to the metal shroud. The solution to the problem I came up with was to take a 1/4 inch drive 6 point socket and grind it down ,shorten it so that it just was long enough to cover the head of the bolt. I sued the bottom bolt to determine how much to grind off. Then I ground the side wall of the socket using a bench grinder and a battery powered drill to rotate it the opposite direction of the bench grinder so that I could grind it down evenly. After getting it as thin walled as I could and still have enough wall to still have strength to remove the bolt I used a 1/4 in drive extension and a small 1/4 inch breaker. Once I got the socket on the bolt I found that I need a little more leverage that I could apply with the short breaker so I used a 12 inch adjustable wench . I hind sight a small piece of tubing or pipe would have made it easier, but that was what I had handy at the tIme. I might add that the starter I have mounts to the side of the engine. The one I have doesn't have the mounting holes on the bottom
I hope this helps someone with the same problem I had.

I had great luck using a 1/4 drive 13 mm "u joint" socket with a 6 inch long 1/4 drive extension. My tractor is a 16 hp Vanguard equipped Troy-Bilt (genuine Troy, NY Troy bilt). I have removed the starter three times with relative ease.

Depends a lot on the type of installation, but in most I know the RH bolt of the starter mounting bracket is inaccessible with the flywheel on.

All the stuff about special tools and 1/4" drive sockets ignores the fact that the loon who designed this installation never considered how it would come apart - in other words the starter went on too soon in the assembly process of the motor to be removed without reversing that process.

I didn`t think the 1/4" socket idea would work too well, but there is another way.

If you undo the long 8mm bolts at the bottom of the starter body you can drop the starter body and gain enough clearance to get a socket onto the RH bolt.

Before doing this you will need to take off the top cowling and the cover over the starter gear. You DO NOT need top take off the cover over the rear of the RH cylinder fins - just loosen the bolts a bit.

Be careful when dropping the starter body not to separate the bottom plate which carries the brushes from the cylindrical body - more grief if you get this wrong!

You don`t even have to remove the starter completely from the engine - all you are seeking is extra clearance for that B****y bolt. You may need to fiddle the oblong plate thing (the clutch) around to get your socket on.

The main tricky thing with this approach is getting the long 8mm bolts to locate back into their holes in the mounting plate - can be a bit fiddly, but once you have them started it`s just a matter of being patient with an 8mm ring spanner to get them tightened up. DO mark the body to mounting plate joint to make sure you have things lined up right for the long bolts.

Good luck - there are some dodgy plastic gears out there (in 2014) - I had to do mine three times. You get quite good at it, last one only took half an hour.

AS