Benelli starter gear failure, why does this keep happening?

[chicken5alad]

Alright fellas, I've lost count now. This is the 5th time I've had a starter gear fail on my Benelli.

This latest one didn't even last 2500 km. I was just doing a routine oil change and found a broken tooth when I was draining the oil, so I knew my worst fears had come true.
I've already done the common fix and converted to a Triumph starter like many other people, and it was supposedly bulletproof.

It's so frustrating, how is this even possible? What brand are you guys using? I'm totally at my wits' end. I'm hoping someone has an idea of what's going on

 

[tntstreetshredder25]

I think there might be some misalignment or that the gear mesh isn't quite right, which could be causing damage. Take a look at the wear on the crank gear and the spacing of the starter shims, that could be the real issue rather than the starter itself.

 

[ElegantlySmart]

As far as I know that's just cosmetic and doesn't cause any problems. I've done some DIY plastic repairs in the past for different projects and if you want to take this route, make sure you use a soft material to fill the cracks because if you use a hard one, the cracks will appear very quickly. Not sure if you can get the job done with a wrap, though.