Help! L4200 Starter grinding!

[Jay4200]

I spent my Saturday working on a hydraulics project on my L4200 - all was working Saturday afternoon....but Sunday morning when I went to start my tractor - GRRRRIIIINNNDDD! It's the same sound as when you turn your key when the motor is running, except for the motor running part. I saw the fan move a bit while it was grinding, so the motor isn't locked up. I removed the starter and cleaned it up - everything inside looked OK, solenoid looked alright, and the flywheel looks OK too. Starter spins up and runs with the engagement gear out on the bench. Put it back together and same grinding symptoms. I can't imagine that anything I was doing with the hydraulics created this problem - it was working fine the night before and nothing changed?! Perhaps a horrible coincidence? I never had any grinding noises while starting before. Can a bad starter create this grinding? How to proceed?

Thanks - JayC

 

[johnrex62]

My guess is that the gear throwout is getting weak and not meshing properly. I don't know if the throwout force is spring or motor speed controlled, though.

:anyone: