As it says in the title
Went to start the buggy this morning to go to a local show and just got a clatter from the starter, it did it once yesterday but otherwise was fine.
It's a 3 year old starter motor that when removed from the engine and bolted to the chassis throws the gear in fine.
Gear has some wear on the tips of the teeth



I can turn the engine over with a spanner, doesn't seem to resist any more than usual.

Looked at the flywheel gear with a mirror and that looks perfect.

So back to the question,  are any of the available starter motors any good or is it a throwaway item after 3 years like so many aftermarket parts these days?

May be a blessing in disguise,  its chucking it down here 

A while back I was helping Dav as his starter didnt like turning over his big motor when hot.  We did quite a lot of research and whilst doing it found lots of bad reviews about various starter motors.

I saved this one - it was for high compression so may be a bit OTT but it did get lots of good reviews https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/p/vw-beetle-lms317

Thanks Tony, that is pricey and don't think I need that extra power, I just don't think it's throwing in and engaging.
It sounds almost like the teeth are only just touching the flywheel teeth and the wear on the gear suggests it's just the tips that have been hitting

Might call them and see if they do a quality less powerful one at a better price

Is the bush in the bell housing still round or gone oval as this can cause lock up and poor meshing

Good thought Keith. If I need to take it out of the car again I'll have a peek

Charging battery at the moment as it suddenly occurred to me it might not have the oomph to throw it in on the car. Mainly down to Tony mentioning a higher power starter got me thinking

A self supporting higher powered starter of a auto beetle is a good up grade folks also fit a diesel golf starter but not sure of which one.

I just got mine rebuilt as it was turning the engine over increasingly slowly, cost me £45 plus a fiver for a new bush, turns over better than any new one I've ever fitted!

Auto Electrical Services Milton Keynes; Graham Barnett is the man.  And a VW Bus enthusiast.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Auto+Electrical+Services/@51.9759609,-0.7157239,1720m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x48765455e92365df:0x1089d96b1b729b15!8m2!3d51.9759609!4d-0.7157239!16s%2Fg%2F1tfc62rt?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Thanks for all the replies but its not the starter motor after all.
Looks like I need a new battery,  charged it overnight and turns over fine this morning.

I trickle charge it regularly,  shows just over 12v static and 14v engine running but even after 35 miles driving Saturday didn't have the power Sunday morning.

Never had problems with using old genuine starters,always have a few on shelf,most powerful ones are the semi auto self supporting,or if you really want spin an engine use a 67 6v with 12v

if you really want spin an engine use a 67 6v with 12v

Wouldn't that burn it out Pete?

Oh for the good old days eh......  When lead/acid batteries had each cell connected outside of the casing. In a couple of moments you could check each cell individually to find out if one was dud. 6 volt batteries would last for ever.

Just seen Pete`s post...  An original Bosch 6v starter was surprisingly capable in handling a 12 volt supply in quite a few Beetles I came across.

Run a 67 6v on the twin cam with 160 plus psi compression spins over a dream as the semi auto beetle one suffered cable rot solenoid to windings.

i run a high torque self supporting starter on my other vw  it turns it over no problem even with 11.1  compression

Battery shows 12.4v a day sfter charging. Just going to monitor see if it drops away