Aircooled VW South Africa

IS THERE SOMETHING I'M MISSING OR DON'T KNOW ABOUT?

SO IN ANTICIPATION OF GETTING CYNDI'S BRAZILIA WE'VE BEEN USING IT QUITE A BIT LATELY. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE HAD A BIT OF A BAD LUCK RUN.
THERE WAS A LOT OF NOISE WHEN TRYING TO START THE BUS AND EVENTUALLY IT WOULDN'T SWING THE ENGINE. IF YOU LEFT IT IN GEAR AND ROCKED IT AND THEN STARTED IT, IT WOULD START ALBEIT WITH A HECK OF A NOISE. EVENTUALLY NO MATTER WHAT WE DID IT WOULDN'T SWING ALTHOUGH YOU COULD HEAR THE STARTER TRYING TO ENGAGE.
AFTER REMOVING THE STARTER MOTOR AND CHECKING THE FLYWHEEL WE SAW THAT ALL THE TEETH HAD BEEN EATEN OFF.
WE DROPPED THE ENGINE AND REPLACED THE FLYWHEEL, BRASS BUSH (WHICH WE PRIMED) AND ANOTHER STARTER MOTOR.
FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IT STARTED FINE BUT STILL HAD A BIT OF NOISE.
ON FRIDAY IT STARTED PLAYING UP AGAIN AND THEN TWICE I HAD TO PUSH START IT.
I BROUGHT IT HOME AND DROPPED THE ENGINE AGAIN.
THE GEAR HAS BEEN EATEN AGAIN BUT NOT QUITE AS BAD, BUT WHAT WAS MORE ALARMING WAS THAT THE FRONT OF THE BENDIX HAD SNAPPED OFF INSIDE THE BRASS BUSH?????
AM I JUST HAVING A RUN OF BAD LUCK OR DOES THE BRAZILIA USE A DIFFERENT FLYWHEEL OR STARTER MOTOR TO THE BEETLE?

I HAVE OBVIOUSLY REMOVED THE OFFENDING STARTER MOTOR AND REPLACED IT BUT DON'T HAVE ANOTHER FLYWHEEL SO I AM STICKING WITH THE ONE I HAVE IN THERE AT THE MOMENT. I'M HOPING IT DOESN'T CONTINUE TO GET CHEWED UP.
THE NOISE IS STILL THERE WHEN STARTING BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD.

ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE OR KNOW THE CAUSE?

MARK

Hi Mark.

Are you not perhaps mixing 6v with 12v parts? 6v flywheels and 6v starters have a different teeth count, so won’t mesh.

A 12v starter on a 6v flywheel will defiantly cause issues like you have had.

Ensure you have the finer teeth flywheel and appropriate starter.

Make sure the bendix on the starter is also I perfect condition, if not, a bad bendex will destroy a perfectly good flywheel. Both must be perfect, worn edges is no good.

I DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD A 6V FLYWHEEL BUT WHO KNOWS?
AS FOR PERFECT TEETH......
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS FLYWHEEL THAT DID HAVE PERFECT TEETH HAS ALREADY BEEN DAMAGED.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'MLOOKING FOR ON THE STARTER'S TEETH. THEY SEEM TO HAVE MULTIPLE ANGLES AND I'VE LOOKED AT A FEW OF THEM.
THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME TO ME.

How well is the starter bush located in position? Is it the correct size outer and inner diameter?
Is the hole in gearbox where bush fits still in perfect condition. As in the bush doesnt now live slightly further from flywheel after modification/fixing?
Late type flywheel have 130 teeth, old (wrong for your application) type have 109 teeth.

HOWDY DAWIE.
I THINK THE BUSH IS OK.
AS FOR THE TEETH I'LL HAVE TO COUNT THEM NEXT TIME I DROP THE ENGINE WHICH AT THIS RATE MAY BE QUITE SOON!