Starter Bendix lubrication

[Ian R]

Last Friday, I ran my TA for the first time this year.
On leaving the dining establishment, my starter drive gear jammed in the ring gear & so I could not get the car to start.
After the 2 starter mounting bolts were loosened, the bendix spring pulled the starter drive gear back. The TA then fired right up on the first pull of the starter cable.

I clearly need to lubricate the starter bendix to avoid a repeat.
What is the Groups recommendation for lubricating a starter gear & spring ? Oil ? Lithium grease ?

[Ray White]

Just clean the bendix and leave it dry. I was always told NOT to lubricate.

[Steve Simmons]

If I ever lube them, I only use a very lightweight oil. Like machine oil.

I don't recall the TA starter configuration but normally there is a small square on the back where the armature pokes out. If you just turn this a little bit with a wrench, the Bendix gear should pop back without having to take any bolts out.

[jddevel]

Way back when I had my first car a 36 TA on finding the starter jammed I was taught "put in gear-2nd and rock backwards" by pushing. Normally out jumped the bendix.

[Ian R]

Gents,

Mine has the square shaft poking out of the starter & I tried turning that. It is a very small square, about 1/2” across flat, but I could not get enough torque with the small wrench that I had to flick the Bendix out.
We tired the rocking in 2nd but my wife was not a lot of help there.

It only took about 4 turns on each of the starter bolts for the drive gear to spring back so I don’t think it will take much lubrication to reduce the chances of a repeat.
Any on tried graphite spray greases ?

[Steve Simmons]

You just want to make sure you don't put anything on there that will attract grime. If anything sticks to it, it will get worse

[Duncan M]

The usual choice is dry graphite powder. Not graphite spray and not graphited grease. The dry powder is generally available in hardware stores

edit- the powder goes on a dry and clean assembly..