Riley air conditioner/rear starter clutch

[Jerry De Santis]

Hello Guy! I use Aeroshell 100. At one time I tried the mult grades but with poor results.

I learned a lot about rear engine starter/clutch problems. I have a Riley air cond. which runs off of the rear engine starter adpt.

Well, with that system, if you have problems with the adpt. that the air cond. pulley is on, to get the adpt off, you must remove the engine. The engineer that came up with that ideal must have never gotten his hands dirty.

Heres what I learned. If you ever need to get the clutch repaired because of the clutch slipping, get the starter overhauled at the same time.

When you start the engine, the clutch spring coils around the adpt. shaft and when the engine starts, the spring uncoils and frees the shaft to rotate. Well, if the starter is old and dirt and grime gets under the brushes, there is a resistance for the coil to unwind. The spring when uncoiling must turn the starter shaft two complete turns in the reverse direction. If impeded to do so, the spring will drag on the adpt shaft wearing the shaft to the point it slips when trying to start. The wear from that situation can produce metal grinds which can get into the engine. I was lucky, cut the oil filter open and it was free of metal, but could have gone the other way also.

The rear engine starter can be removed from the engine for repairs without much of a hassel, but if the adpt must come off, than the engine must be removed.

The lesson I learned is to get the rear started overhauled every two years wheater it needs it or not. Don't permit the problem to begin.

Cheers
Jerry