The starter gear is disengaging from the flywheel before the engine starts on
my '64. I load tested the battery and checked the cable connections. What
should I look at next? Do I need to get a rebuilt starter?

Scott Isensee
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Scott:
It sounds like the Bendix drive on your starter is bad.... new Bendix/
starter drives are available from almost all auto parts stores, probably
about $30; you must remove the starter and partially disassemble it to
change the starter drive, but it's not too hard.
Lew

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Scott, It sounds like you need a new starter drive(Bendix). This should be
available from most starter/generator rebuilding shops. Stude. part
no.1550373, Borg Warner SD593, Niehoff SD15  Bob Ziff
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Check your starter solenoid and Bendix (the drive gear on the end of the
starter). A bad solenoid might not "hold" long enough due to inadequate
voltage due to a loose terminal or bad contact inside the solenoid. A bad
Bendix will pull the motor for a moment, but then the "one way clutch" built
into it will break loose, and it will sound like the starter "kicked out", as
it is supposed to do when the motor starts.  
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Scott,
I had exactly this problem on my '63, 4-speed.  The Bendix would disengage
just at the engine was about to start. I ignored this condition  until the
starter eventually  jammed into the ring gear 

Hopefully all you need is a new Bendix.  Not in my case, I removed the
starter, the ring gear teeth were chewed up in several places. I would sug=
gest
you mark your flywheel and rotate it with a screwdriver or something 360=
=B0 and
look at the teeth on the gear. My Bendix teeth looked OK. I extended Bendi=
x
gear to its full travel and measured its distance to the machined face of =
the
starter nose. Then I measured the distance from the starter bellhousing to=
 the
ring gear. Measurements indicated that I was only ever getting about 1/4"
engagement into the ring gear plus the Bendix gear teeth have a radius on =
them
which made a bad situation worse.  I ended up machining .100 off the face =
of
the starter nose, allowing the Bendix to be .100 closer to the ring gear.
Later I learned that it is possible to machine a little off a part in the
Bendix and achieve another .100 deeper for the gear. I did this and the
combination gave me .200 total, I never had any more trouble.  If you want=
 to
modify the Bendix I'll have to look up the article. I don't have it handy.=
  

Before you just replace your Bendix, I would recommend you take some
measurements.  Hope this helps, Avanti. Jim Frakes
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