A friend has a 99 scrambler 500, and the starter won't engage. He has pulled all the bolts that hold it in, but he says it won't come off the engine. He says it wiggles back and forth, but won't budge(I haven't seen it yet). Anyone got a solution? Is there a hidden bolt or something? The starter spins fine, but won't engage. Is it fixable or does he need a new unit? My 99 SP500 is starting to show the same symptoms. The starter will sometimes spin but not engage. I suspect water damage, any suggestions?

 

XG,
Pull the recoil housing off the right side of the engine. When you do, you'll notice the end of the electric starter motor coming in from the "backside" and a small gear on it that engages the "starter bendix". (The bendix is located just to the left of the electric motor shaft.)
If your motor is spinning fine, and just won't engage, then the trouble is not in the motor. More than likely its in the bendix. Pull the bendix out and disassemble it, clean it thoroughly and remove rust/corrosion. LIGHTLY lube it with some high temperature grease and reinstall it. If all else fails, you will have to buy a new one.. I would suggest trying to clean this one first because a new one IS EXPENSIVE!!!..
How often do you drain the starter housing??. Do you go thru deep water??.
Oh, this is other than the obvious like stripped gears on the bendix... etc..
Anyway, Try that and see what happens..
When the bendix gets dirt/rust in it, they usually won't engage..
Good Luck!!!

 

when you stand the quad up..you can see a bolt on the top of the starter..that's one bracket..on the back there is another..

I have no clue how you get it out..i just took a hacksaw blade and cut the bracket off. Then when i put it back on..i put the bolt on the front on real good. It is just as steady as before.

My bendix is also screwed up..rusted up..along with the brushes..and most of the inside gears..

I am going to get a new set of brushes..and then i am going to clean the bendix up..so the starter works when i sell the quad in the spring..

I just decided tonight..that i am going to sell it..

 

Thanks guys, I'll forward the info to my buddy, and check out the bendix on mine. I had no idea water could access the bendix from the recoil housing... learn something every day!