How to remove this starter gear?

[PandDLong]

I have a lightly used (120 hours) JD Z445 mower which is having problems with the starter. When already warm the starter will begin turning over the engine and then the starter gear/bendix slips and the starter just spins. A new starter was a crazy price but JD did sell just the starter gear/bendix assembly for a lot less.

Now the challenge - how to actually replace the parts.....

Suggestions on how I remove the nut on the end to release the starter gear parts? (And then how I will tighten it back on).

 

[flyerdan]

I'd start by pulling the gear all the way out and seeing if there are flats on the shaft behind the bendix to put a wrench on. If not, it will easily come apart by using an impact gun on in; it might go together the same way, but it's hard to know if you have the right torque when tightening it down that way. Otherwise, it will probably have to come apart and the stator part secured in a vice someway that doesn't damage it.
Does the end of the shaft have an hex indentation that you can get an allen wrench on, like alternators do?

 

[jaotguy]

tape up the jaws on a set of big pliers , drop them on the gear and twist off the nut ....

 

[PILOON]

B4 dismantling try spray flushing the guts with WD40 to flush out any crap.
It has rejuvenated a few for me.

 

[mitch becton]

remove nut from end of shaft very little pressure is on the spring and gear you may have to take small vise grips to hold shaft when this and spring comes off the gear will twist off the spline shaft from starter it will probably be 2 pieces is normal any starter shop should have or can get it for you if not repost will tell you where to get one the new set up will be both parts in it should be about $20.00 or less

 

[mitch becton]

remove nut from end of shaft very little pressure is on the spring and gear you may have to take small vise grips to hold shaft when this and spring comes off the gear will twist off the spline shaft from starter it will probably be 2 pieces is normal any starter shop should have or can get it for you if not repost will tell you where to get one the new set up will be both parts in it should be about $20.00 or less it will work better using air ratchet the amount of pressure used to turn dive off shaft is almost nothing

 

[pat32rf]

Impact gun normally spins those nuts off. Use the inertia of the armature to hold it from spinning. You just can't do that by hand without an impact gun

 

[Baby Grand]

If the imapct wrench doesn't work, find 2 short lengths of mild steel round stock "pins".
From your photo, I'd guess 5/16" would be about right.
You want a diameter that, when the pin is set between 2 adjacent gear teeth, will stick up above the tips of the teeth.
Put one of these pins between gear teeth; on either side of the gear and grab a hold of the gear with a ViceGrips, making sure the jaws of the ViceGrip only contact the top of the pins. Now that you have a good grip on the gear, you should be able to undo that nut without buggering up the shaft or the gear.

 

[PandDLong]

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried a couple of the ideas without success and put the starter back in the mower (it works on a cold start) in order to cut the grass.

I need to borrow an impact gun and the I will try it with that as well as using the pair of steel pins at my next opportunity.