MT180HMD Starter Motor Removal Help

[Alcione]

My MT180HMD has the K3C engine. It has been outside for about 3 months ( I don't have a shed yet for it) and I went to use it yesterday only to find it would not start. The battery was down to 11.5 volts. I had a fully charged spare 4x4 battery so I hooked up the jumper cables and still no go. While I had ignition lights, fuel gauge and could hear the glow plug relays, the starter button did not work. I managed to pull off the wire going to the starter solenoid top and measured the voltage there when the starter button was depressed and it read around 11.8v. Correct me if im wrong but this told me the starter button was activating and the safety cut-out feature as not engaged. So, it should have engaged the starter motor at that point. I suspect it might be the solenoid. I had heard that sometimes tapping the solenoid housing with a piece of wood may make it come good so I tried that. No go.

Unless someone can advise me of another test, I feel I have no option but to remove the starter motor.
The trouble is, once I removed the 2 small engine side panels, I realised just how little room there is to work. In fact, I have not been able to get my fat fingers on the inside of the starter motor to locate the flange mounting bolts. I have no show of getting a ratchet or spanner in there.
Can someone who has pulled these starter motors out please point me in the right direction? The workshop manual I have only talks about removing the starter once the engine is removed and I don't want to have to do that.

Appreciate all advice. Thanks in advance.

Regards

 

[284 International]

...this told me the starter button was activating and the safety cut-out feature as not engaged...

...Can someone who has pulled these starter motors out please point me in the right direction?...

I have a tractor with a K3A engine, which is similar though admittedly not identical. Depending on which wire you tested, you might have been accessing a wire that connects to the positive battery wire directly.

There is a wire that runs from the positive terminal up to the key switch. Then another wire comes back down to operate the solenoid when the key is placed into start position. This energizes the solenoid, connects the positive terminal to the starter motor, and actuates the starter gear lever.

If the wire is constantly energized, you haven't found the correct wire. If it cycles from 0 volts to 11.8 volts when the starter button is depressed, then obviously you have found the correct wire. I suspect that machine may have both a clutch safety switch and a PTO safety switch. Make sure the PTO lever is in neutral, and the clutch switch is depressed fully.


The starter IS obnoxious to remove on mine, but it is possible. I don't recall how I did it, merely that it was harder than I felt it should be. It seems like one or both of the bolts actually go through the bellhousing, or perhaps a bolt is used as a mounting stud, or something like that. However, on mine I think only one of the bolts, on the top portion of the starter flange, is the tough one to reach. I remove it first, then do the easier one.

 

[Alcione]

Thanks for the quick response.
No, I definitely had the correct wire. I should have explained it better. The safety switch is connected to the position of the high, low, neutral lever so that's all known.
Looks like there is no other choice but to get stuck in on the weekend unless someone else will have a bright idea.

 

[PILOON]

The safety has a male and female connector.
Disconnect those and join them together thus bypassing the safety and try again.
Try starting again as that will prove out the integrity of that switch. They are often the problem as due to location corrosion can occur.

 

[Alcione]

Thanks Piloon.
It looks like the previous owner has bypassed the safety switch so as you say, it may have been problematic at some other point.
Problem is now resolved. I needed to bring in some assistance in the form of my local auto electrician. Essentially the process he used was to peel back the layers of stuff in the way of the starter motor. Cowling, exhaust manifold etc then using a very small diameter long socket extension managed to access the flange bolts. I watched him so could do it again if I had to.
Another issue developing is hydraulic related so will post another thread.
Thanks for the comments/ideas
Regards