virage bendix help please

[BlueFishCrisis]

That washer in the bottom photo looks awfully thick too.....

[maybenot]

ok,
i know about the fuel lines from reading the forums, thats gonna be next after the water line cutoff switch for when you get towed, which i'll get to before i drop her in if i ever get past this debacel.
disconnected the starter wire and got 12 volts while pushing button. then reattached wire and adjusted bendix out of its hole and pushed button and it spun like crazy.
so by elimination, we are all good upto and including starter motor, correct?
by the way, rebuilt engine was installed before i bought ski in 2010(guy had reciepts from polaris dealer), now has 22 hours, and was working fine when last run, then went to start one day and starter was bad. broke off nosecone of starter trying to replace, and put ski in garage over winter to remove broken pieces and replace with new starter and here we are.

[BlueFishCrisis]

Motor turns over by hand, so as we discussed, the bendix has to be getting bound up by something when the cover is installed. May need to pull that flywheel if you cant get the bendix freed up.... Pulling the flywheel takes patience, but is not a huge undertaking. We can get you through it.......

[maybenot]

uggggh, ok, thanks again for the help. i'll get to it soon.
by the way, do you know the purpose of the springed collar on the bendix shaft. from the looks, the steel bushing on the flywheel cover is supposed to push against the spring collar. i was just curious what that spring collar does or allows when pushed in.

[BlueFishCrisis]

Only thing I can think of is that it is what keeps the bendix snug between the two covers and provides a stop for the gear when thrown out....