Starting Pinion Lever D2

From my experience with D2 starting, and this was with the 3J I had years ago (not the 5U that is giving me headaches at the moment), the pinion clutch lever should "snap" over center and stay engaged like the main clutch. There is an adjustment for the pinion clutch, sounds like you just have to tighten it up a notch.

P.S. Shell Rotella 15W 40 is what I use for all of my Diesels around here.

Rich.

How it works is there are dogs on the pinion it's self and when you pull the pinion lever you are engaging those dogs and the pinion into the ring gear at same time so when the diesel fires up the cyntrifigal force throws the dogs out causing it to disengage and the adjustment for your problem is on the pinion they are two screws with Carter pins and you access it on D2's under the left floor plate and there is about a 2 1/2" circle plate you have to do it from it's a pain but it's either that or pull the pony motor and injector pump and pull the whole pony clutch assembly out well you just tighten the two screws up and install new carter pins. The pony cutch assembly is exactly the same except the lever is D2-j-u D4-g-j-t-u D6-r-u.

Hopefully Somone can post some pics of what I'm talking about.

Good Luck!!!-JR

Usually only about three reasons the pinion will not engage and latch.
1. The sleeve assembly has become detached from the pinion.
2. The lever that pulls the sleeve assembly to engage the latches has become worn or bent.
3. The latches and stop are to worn to function properly.

The first two reasons cause loss of correct pinion engagement movement resulting in having to hold in the pinion. There are no adjustments for these two problems.

The third item is adjustable for release rpm but not likely to be your problem.

Here you go, hopefully these photo's of my D2 4U starter pinion will give you some idea of what we are talking about, you will see one photo with the sliding gear and it's 2 latches engaged, and another photo of it disengaged. If your gears are grinding it sounds like either starter clutch adjustment or starter pinion brake failure, my RD4 has that problem, the clutch works, but the brake does not.
Good luck
Mike

Well from my experience you may as well bite the bullet and remove the starter motor, take the pinion/clutch mechanism out and fix it right.

I did not have to remove the pump but it is a tight fit. You must remove a few cap screws on the inspection plate behind the clutch mechanism.

I put up with these probs until one time it took my ring finger on my right hand down to 1/16th inch

You didn't say if this is a J or U model but the pinion clutch adjustment is the same for either, just that the J model it's done after you remove a pipe plug and the U model has a small plate to get into the clutch adjustment.

Check to make sure the clutch adjustment isn't too tight before you take the pony off. If it's too tight, the clutch lever will never "snap over" and lock into place. If this is a new acquisition it's possible that the previous owner didn't know how to adjust the pinion clutch.

I'm sort of lazy so I start checking the simplest and most obvious first before I get serious with the wrenches. . .

But I think what he is having probs with is the pinion. I wonder if he confusing the pinion with the clutch?

Sounds like the pinion grinding into gear with the flywheel, then having to hold the gear in place till it starts the main motor. Either clutch is not disengaging properly, or the pinion brake is not working, followed by the latches not holding when engaged? Or is the clutch just not "locking over" when engaged?

I'd flush that starter pinion/ clutch housing with gas or kerosene at least twice to remove all the old crud, then refill to correct level with ATF, then adjust the pilot clutch till it "Snaps Over" and see what happens. If it still misbehaves like my RD4 does because it's all just pretty worn in there, then either pull the pilot motor and fix it, or buy another old Cat to play on. I've found it's usually cheaper to buy another old Cat because one job always leads to another, which leads to another, and another, etc, etc, etc, just ask Zootownjeepguy 😆😆