willysmjeeps.com

This question was submitted to me as a PM however I want these questions out here on the forums where everyone shares in the information and learns more about their jeeps.

Wes,
I have a 1952 M38A1 with a 12 volt starter that looks like the one in this photo.



When I bench tested the starter, the Folo-thru drive spins, but the gear does not move forward to engage the flywheel. Is this normal for this starter?
Thanks John

Usually it is only a sticky/dirty Bendix drive. This dirt is usually on the shaft the drive slides on. In rare cases it can be because the starter didn'd turn over fast enough.

Since you have a 12V Prestolite CJ5 F134 starter use the civvy CJ5 manual sm-1046 which I have several chapters of in my photo album.

http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

You will want to download and print pages 202 thru 208

The Prestolite starter calls for bendix drive 931463.


The drive in my starter is 119597. Any ideas as to what gives? Thanks!

Bendix 119597 (Presto # EBB-19) is for the early CJ5 & CJ3b 6 Volt MCH-6203 (WO# 925520) starter.

If you truly have a Prestolite (Autolite) MDU-7004 (WO# 924885) 12 Volt starter then the correct starter drive is 925667 (Presto # EBB-74)

If your jeep is 12 volts then the 6 volt starter will work providing you don't crank on it for prolonged periods.

It helps these discussions if you ID your starter model. Is the data plate missing?

I have all the service data for the MDU-7004 here in my albums:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

The data plate is missing.

See if you can clean it up, get a few good photos posted and tell us the part numbers found on the nose case, field frame, and commutator end head plate.