Hello all. I just purchased this dozer. When I first looked at it, it started right up. The next day when I picked it up it fired right up, and when I went to unload it, same thing. Now after sitting only a few days the starter spins but won't engage. I had the batteries out and charged them overnight and did load checks on them and they both check out good. Is there some sort of safety switch that would be causing this? If that were the case I would think that all power to the starter would be shut off. Thank you.
Either your bendix is bad (assuming that's the type of starter it is, I can't think of anything else it could be but you never know) or the ring gear has a bad spot. or a combination of bad starter gear and ring gear. I'd try turning the engine over just a couple degrees to see if the starter grabs there. If you can reach the fan belt, it should turn easily enough, might have to grab the fan with one hand and the belt with the other to tighten the belt. If it still fails to engage after a few turns on the crankshaft, then it's time to pull the starter and take a look, unless you're getting too much voltage drop and the starter isn't spinning fast enough? maybe measure the spinning/cranking voltage at the starter, not the solenoid, and see if that's unusually low. It should still pull in if the starter is spinning, but again???
Thanks Delmer. Unfortunately the ring gear is missing a tooth, but a 1/2 inch ratchet and socket will take care of the problem for now.
And it might even start right up as you turn it by hand.