Bad starter?

I have a Kelly Aerospace X-drive starter. Three weeks ago the engine was started for the first time, no issues with the starter but a small fuel leak was found.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, leak fixed, aircraft weighed and time to fill and calibrate the tanks.

Switches on, hit the starter and a grinding sound comes from the starter. Worse than that, the only way to stop the sound was to turn off the master. The starter switch itself is a momentary switch wired per the "aeroelectric connection". Turn the master back on and the starter still grinds. Moving the prop disengages the gear but the cycle only repeats itself.

I've done a bit of trouble shooting and found that the starter gear moves freely, extends and engages fully into the ring gear. After engaging, that's when the grinding starts. The prop doesn't move when this happens. There is 12.5 volts going into the starter from the battery as well as the the switch. The grinding sound is not from the starter gear but from within the starter itself.

The Kelly Aerospace site doesn't have anything that helps troubleshoot this and they are closed till Monday.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Kickback on first start? Is this the one that has the shear pin? That may have broken if a kickback was experienced on first start... Just a guess though..

Radomir said:

Kickback on first start? Is this the one that has the shear pin? That may have broken if a kickback was experienced on first start... Just a guess though..

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Haven't heard of a shear pin issue. No kickbacks on any starts (yet).

Unfortunately, there isn't much info available on the web when it comes to Kelly starters.