Couple issues with the 322C. Grinding when starting and Itchy swing

[fastline]

Two totally different issues, but combining simplicity.

1. I am dealing with a starter issue and I am trying to address it early. Last yr I got a couple grinds when trying to start, meaning the bendix did not slam the starter gear into the flywheel right. I found that the start solenoid was not really conducting right and replaced with a CAT solenoid. To my amazement, the new one is about the same, which is sometimes I turn the key, hear the solenoid, but no crank at all. This is where the solenoid does not conduct when closed. Try the key again, life it good, fires clean. Now I am getting grinding on probably every 20th start. Try again, life is good. Anyone with common sense knows that grinding is not good and I could care less about the starter, and more about what is happening to my flywheel. I am now in the mode of wanting complete silence when that machine fires so I can hear if it engages right.

Wondering if anyone has seen this and what fixed it? I am very electrically inclined but I just can't pin this other than that new solenoid is crap. the current to it looks good, nothing seems out of whack otherwise but I think the starter is receiving reduced voltage sometimes and does not slam home like it should.

2. Swing issue. This is not really a massive problem, but very annoying. All other functions are smooth and everything on machine has very good power. The issue is when I start swinging. I get a jolt of acceleration like the damn brake is slow to release. It's not insane and if I go slow, it's fine. If I had to guess on the spot, I would say the swing brake is not building pressure fast enough so the swing motor already has pressure once the brake releases.

The question here is how might I confirm this or fix it? I do have "fine swing" but realized that just releases the swing brake, in which it works perfect but obviously I don't have a swing brake then so it's use is limited.

 

[mg2361]

Wondering if anyone has seen this and what fixed it?

Did you bar the engine over while the starter was out to inspect the entire ring gear?

 

[Vetech63]

Engines stop in one of 2 places......180 degrees from each other. I'd bet your ring gear is ground down more in one spot than the other. It's a very common problem.

....and this is just an opinion of mine so don't take it personally. I have never understood replacing an old starter solenoid with a new one and bolting it to a used worn starter motor. The bulk of the starter has the same hours and wear as the solenoid does. It just seems like a waste of time to me. A lot of times the grinding of the bendix against the ring gear is started by loose, worn out armature bushings. Once that process begins its ring gear replacement time.

 

[fastline]

When I say "start solenoid", I should have said "start relay" that is mounted near the ECM. There were times when you would turn the key to start and get nothing. After testing with a meter, I determined that at random, sometimes that relay would certainly click, but have no continuity. I basically removed the lead going from it to the starter so I could do a bunch of key on testing.

I was focused on things like voltage drop.

I think I will get the starter out of it soon and either rebuild or replace it, but I don't think inspecting the ring gear will be any fun as you can hardly reach the starter let alone inspect.

When this happened before the machine was cold so I suspected low batteries or voltage drop not sending that bendix 'home' with some aggression. But this is now when machine was certainly warm. In one case, I bumped the starter and it grinded 3x, then started fine on the 4th attempt.

 

[Delmer]

Ring gear big. Starter gear small. Starter grinds, starter gear gets eaten before ring gear gets eaten. Most likely starter gear is rounded off bad and ring gear is rounded a little, but will work fine for years. Could even be as simple as dried and dirty grease in the bendix. Definitely turn the engine over while you have the starter out, it will turn easily with a pry bar.