What is a geared starter? How to choose a gear starter?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Modern engine can only work independently at a certain speed of the crankshaft. The process of internal combustion cannot be started without external influence on the mechanism. Therefore, starters are used directly to start the engine.

Application History

Electric starters were not used immediately, although at the beginning of the 20th century there were even electric cars. At first, engines were started by simply rotating the crankshaft by hand. The first starting devices for the car were pneumatic and powered by compressed air. Such a device, for example, was equipped with the Rolls-Royce of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II. However, the pneumatic circuit of the starter was cumbersome and capricious. And, as soon as the electric motors began to fit the needs of the automotive industry in terms of their dimensions and power, the designers switched to the design of electric starters. They are still in use today.

What is this

An electric starter is an element of the engine starting system that spins the crankshaft to the speed necessary for an independent chain reactionburning.

Structurally, the starter consists of an electric motor interlocked with a clutch and a movable fork, which ensures engagement of the engine gear (bendix) with the teeth on the engine flywheel. The starter circuit is as follows: an electric current is applied to the retractor relay, after which it pulls the fork towards itself and the shaft moves along the splines, engaging with the motor shaft. At the same time, voltage is applied to the engine brushes and the starter rotates the bendix, which rotates the engine flywheel. As soon as the motor starts to work by itself, the retractor relay, by means of a return spring, shifts the shaft along the splines to its original position. It takes quite a bit of force to turn the crankshaft through the flywheel. Therefore, starters have a power of about 3 kilowatts and above. To provide such power, not only more current is required, but also large dimensions of the electric motor itself. At the same time, the dimensions of the engine compartment become more compact. in a smaller volume, more and more units are required to fit. This is where a geared starter comes in handy. Feedback from motorists says that the device performs well in action.

Gear starter device

The design of the element is no different from the usual ones, with the exception of one element - the reducer. This is a special mechanism that allows you to convert torque and speed. A step-up gearbox increases the speed and reduces the torque, a step-down gearbox - vice versa. In such a starter, this node is located between theelectric motor and bendix.

Physically they are connected only through the reducer. Although in some designs they are located coaxially. Otherwise, such a gear starter is completely identical to the usual one.

Distinguishing Features

The gearbox in such a device is usually planetary, compact and reliable. It is a central gear on the motor shaft, satellite gears that roll freely around it, and a gear ring that is driven by these satellites. Thus, the ring rotates much more slowly, but with more torque. In addition to the presence of a gearbox, such a starter is much smaller in size, as well as less powerful. Also some parts are plastic. This significantly reduces the cost of production and reduces the weight of the device.

Advantages of geared starters

The main advantage of such a starter is the ability to get equal returns with a much lower electric motor power. The second advantage is the high speed of the bendix during its operation, which means that there are great chances to start the engine. In addition, the geared starter, due to its lower power, consumes little current during operation. The device works confidently with a discharged battery. And finally, the compact size allows you to plan the engine compartment in a new way.

Flaws

The gear starter has one drawback. This is the complexity of the design of the gearbox itself. In such elements, compact planetary gears are usually used, which practically do notare repaired, but are subject to replacement as a whole.

However, this disadvantage is more than offset by the positive aspects. Therefore, it can be argued that the future belongs to gear starters. Their development is limited only by the quality of components.

Where the geared starter is used

Such devices are used almost everywhere, in any cars, trucks and even tractors. Small size and weight, high output with reasonable power consumption make these mechanisms almost universal. Another advantage of this design is that these starters can be installed on old models of engines such as the VAZ "classics". So, very often motorists install a gear starter on a VAZ 2106.

It is in this engine that it is most in demand. New gear units are available for many motors and are fully interchangeable with old, classic gears in terms of attachment and commutation points.

Reducer mechanisms on various vehicles

In addition to the fact that you can install a gear starter on the VAZ-2106 and other VAZ models, this element is also available for other types of equipment. You can buy it at any car market. So, for example, a gear starter for the GAZ-53 is produced and is in steady demand.

This name is, of course, outdated, but still in use. Such a starter is on the legendary ZMZ-402 engines,which were installed on the Volga and then on the Gazelle. Naturally, their owners have a desire to replace their starter with a more advanced one, with which starting the engine in cold weather becomes as easy as in summer.

Tractor

It is also worth mentioning the installation of gear starters on agricultural machinery. To start the diesel engine, special starting engines were installed on tractors. For example, on the popular MTZ-80 tractor, a starting engine ("starter") PD-10 was installed. It was filled with gasoline mixed with oil and worked until the main engine started.

Its main disadvantage was that it required the same maintenance as the diesel itself - repair, adjustment, refueling. Therefore, it makes sense to install a technically more advanced starter (gear) on the MTZ-80. Its characteristics indicate that it is quite a worthy replacement for the launcher: power from 3.5 to 9 kW and the required battery capacity of 190 Ah is quite consistent with the MTZ-80 engine. Depending on the modification of the tractor, the starters are adapted for a 12 or 24-volt electrical system. But in general, such a solution is very profitable and just as easy to implement as for cars, since there are adapter plates for installing a mechanism instead of a starting motor and all the necessary switching.

Gear starter: reviews

Why are they so popular? Car owners who installed a starter on a VAZ gearbox unanimously claim thatnothing but pluses, such a refinement brings - a confident start in cold weather, easy start even with a dead battery, small dimensions and weight.

The resource of these starters is quite large. They do not require maintenance and work flawlessly in any frost. The price, of course, is slightly higher than for conventional gearless models. But this difference fully pays for itself. And when choosing such a starter, you should focus on acceptable and optimal power, comparable to the power of a conventional, old model.

Conclusion

Thus, the gear starter is a modern stage in the evolution of starting devices, which have a well-established reputation as reliable, convenient and efficient devices designed to make life easier for the car driver. Installing a starter on a geared VAZ is a very useful improvement.