Rotax 503 starter - no bendix

[richardfloyd]

Hi All

I am in the process of overhauling/rebuilding/refurbishing a windlass 503. The electric starter has no bendix and seems to be permanently driven by the engine. This seems wierd as it will put load on and wear the starter. Is this normal for this older engine?

[Le Pou]

I am sure there will be a sprag clutch fitted between the motor and the drive.When the starter motor is operated it locks but when the engine runs it exceeds the speed of the starter and automatically disengages so that the starter motor stops rotating when its power is switched off. There is plenty of info on sprag clutches on the web if you want to see the details.