starter

[tazin river]

We just replaced the starter on our Cessna 180 with another used one. Working fine for now but will likely look at getting a new one later this summer.

What would you recommend? Continental O-470.

Thanks

[photofly]

Is that the one with the starter at the back of the engine, and the right-angle starter adapter? Use the original heavyweight starter, don't use a lightweight one- they have a history of destroying the adapter, which means the engine has to come off to get access.

If I remember rightly the lightweight starters are high speed motors with a gearbox. Now the starter adapter in question has a coil that winds up and tightens around a shaft to grip it when the starter turns. Once the engine fires the coil has to unwind to release the shaft and in order to do that it has to spin the starter motor backwards a little bit when the motor is de-energized. Unfortunately because of the gear on the lightweight motor the torque to spin the motor backwards that little bit it too high, and the shaft/coil arrangement can stay locked together, so the whole assembly spins with the engine under power, destroying the adapter quickly.

The heavyweight motors without a gearbox are easier to drive backwards from the output shaft and don't suffer this problem.

PilotDAR can tell you more.

[PilotDAR]

Photofly has described the situation very well. Yes, only a "direct drive" starter motor on Continental starter adapters, no geared motors. And, the direct drive motor should be in good condition, so it can turn backward a little - it must not be too stiff to turn. If you cannot turn the drive tang with your thumb and finger, it should be overhauled.

There are two types of starter adapters, based upon age. Older ones are preferable. You can tell which you have by turning the prop backward (all cautions please). If the engine will gently turn backward, you have an old style (preferred). If the prop will not turn backward, you have a newer type. They work, but are not as reliable. I can explain this, but it's a long explanation....

Read here:

https://canadianaeromanufacturing.com/w ... r-2016.pdf

And, starter adapters slip for a living. But if they slip more than usual, they should be serviced without delay. You don't know which slipping start is you last, but if it was your last, it was inconvenient and expensive. Overhaul at the first sign of slipping requires many fewer costly parts be replaced.

Canadian Aero Manufacturing near Orillia is your source of all wisdom and service for these...

[iflyforpie]

Always used lightweight starters. On IO-360, IO-470, and IO-520.

I never replaced a single one or a starter drive in spite of engines going hundreds of hours beyond overhaul.