B&S 14.5, I've had problems lately and always replacing the starter gear and bendix, this last time, gear was broken in half, ordered new one, installed, now the starter motor spins, but the gear stays down, it looks like it's running backwards, battery has been on charge for days, but will check voltage now. Does the engine run clockwise or counterclockwise? Battery not hooked up backwards, clean bendix. Help! Thanks, Jim.

From the top clockwise.
It sounds like the battery is hooked up wrong but you said no.

Battery's fine. As I look at the starter spinning, it is running clockwise, therefore trying to start motor counter clockwise. This is crazy! Any other ideas? Thanks, Jim, Mo.

All right, this is CRAZY, just checked voltage on battery, the negative is now pos and the pos is now negative! I've been in electronics since the tube television and I have never seen a battery reverse polarity, can this really happen? I had used the battery on a trolling motor and for the past 4 days I was recharging it, I really don't think I hooked up charger wires backwards and reversed the voltage, could it be? That is the question, thanks for the help, I really don't think batteries can do that. Jim, Mo.

Just to confirm and close this question: the battery reversed polarity, the pos terminal is now negative. and vice-versa. If you don't believe me, let me know, I will send a picture with the meter on it, thanks, Jim.

Good job you got it fixed,
That's what matters.

Thanks, but it dumbfounds me as to why the battery has flipped polarity, that just doesn't happen.

I just read that if a battery is charged for a long period, from a very flat state, the polarity may reverse. Unconfirmed.

It wasn't previously owned by a politician was it?