I have Kennedy adapter kit (#4950) for a SHO V6 3.2L motor attached to my Porsche 914 stock 901 transaxle. I'm using the stock starter. This is a Stage II kit with their flywheel & clutch disk.

I've had the engine on a test stand for several months working on tuning the
motor. I recently dismantled to do some maintenance and noticed that the starter does not appear to be engaging the the flywheel sufficiently (see image).

Has anyone else had this issue? Solutions?

Click to view attachment

TIA

Bump

No one else is using Kennedy adapter?

No experience with those parts, but nothing is being chewed up. If it's not damaging anything, I wouldn't get too excited.

While many are using a KEP adapter, few are using one on a V6 SHO.

Do you know for sure it not fully engaging or are the teeth slightly bevelled?
And have you contacted KEP about this?

Mark, contacted them twice - still no reply, which is weird because they have replied to me previously when I was needing install instructions months prior.

The teeth on the starter do have a slight bevel at the end - which means there's that much less of the engaged distance being used by the teeth. The wear pattern on the flywheel teeth indicates this.

Anyone using a KEP could potentially have the same issue if using the KEP flywheel - engine mating doesn't matter - its about the design. Just trying to see if there is something out there others may have experienced also.

Got a shot of the starter teeth and slight chamfer at the front. I was planning to do a dimension stack up this weekend to see if the numbers coincide with the indicated wear.

Click to view attachment

Either jumper the starter or just pull the bendix to see how far from the edge of the bell housing it will reach. Then measure from the adapter and see what the difference is.

Because of the physics involved, the starter drive shaft will try to pull away from the flywheel as it spins under load. Your pic of the flywheel looks to have minor marks towards the adapter and heavy marks closer to the tranny. This is what should be expected since the end of the starter shaft does not have a pilot bearing.

Yep, take a measurement starter gear at rest to the trans flange surface and then put 12V to just the solenoid and take another measurement. Then measure you ring gear to engine flange surface.

Kennedy has been slow in responding lately

I had the opposite problem and had to space the starter out a bit (buick v6) I have a Renegade plate with a KEP flywheel and a mini hi torque starter. I think variation in each component will contibute to the proper or in-proper fit.

Click to view attachment

In my limiited experience with KEP, they're fond of the concept that their components are NEVER the problem, and they'll tell you so. Just like Permatune. Despite my 40 years of practical VW experience, and having seen thousands of clutch jobs, It was MY fault the clutch wouldn't disengage. Of course, extending the leverage on the stock pedal and fixing the problem couldn't possibly have fixed their design or construction fault, but it did.

The Cap'n

Sorry, can't help you with your mechanical issue, just empathize with you on your issue with KEP. They just screwed me on a small part and charged me an outrageous price to ship it. Buyer beware!

Mike & Mark, that's the direction I was headed. Checked the dimensions and sure enough they're good. I have 2mm of gap between the rear face of the flywheel teeth and the front face of the starter teeth. during engagement starter teeth travel 14mm which is sufficient to cover the 11mm width of the flywheel teeth.

So as Mark indicated - the dark markings must be due to "starter drive shaft will try to pull away from the flywheel as it spins under load. Your pic of the flywheel looks to have minor marks towards the adapter and heavy marks closer to the tranny. This is what should be expected since the end of the starter shaft does not have a pilot bearing."

Didn't really doubt that Kennedy's design was correct - just wanted their check to coincide with mine -but I'm good with my numbers.

Thanks all.