Starter engages with flywheel but sounds like free spinning whenever it meets resistance

Question

Chevy 350 in a marine application.

I can see the pinion gear engage with the flywheel and it will crank for a second then just sounds like it's spinning even though the pinion gear is still engaged with the flywheel. With all the plugs out, it will turn the motor all day, but even just having a compression gauge on one cylinder will cause the problem.

Battery is good.

Any ideas?

Edit: I should have added to the title that the motor isn't turning over when the pinion is engaged and the starter sounds like it's free spinning.

Answer 1

Bad starter drive gear (sometimes called a Bendix). You can replace just the gear or put in a rebuild starter.

Comments

Doesn't the Bendix just throw out the pinion gear? The pinion gear is engaging.

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No, the starter drive is the gear and the one-way clutch assembly (people call it a Bendix_ The part that moves the starter gear is the solenoid and the fork

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OK got a starter coming for it. Appreciate you.