Well tomorrow is the big day.   I will start by trying to remove the clutch housing with the engine in the car.  I will start with removing the lower engine mount bolts and lift the engine a bit when needed.   

Ian, as you are here in Oz, I'd go buy a Holden Gemini starter off eBay.

Can't advertise here, so I will send you a link on the ausmini forum.

They bolt right in, no shims needed. Mesh perfectly with the early ring gear.
But you do have to elongate the mounting flange holes with a round file.
 

Keep the existing solenoid to drive the Gemini one, because its solenoid pulls over 35A. Bit much for a Mini ignition switch.

".....I would be very interested in changing the starter to a "pre-engaged" starter. I am though not very familiar with the what to change it with. I will have to search this forum, I am sure the exact part numbers needed are there. I did see that some need shimmed.. Is that the case with all "pre-engaged" starters?.."

So am I... 8lb flywheels and their thin ring gear do not play nicely with inertia starters ..especially on a daily basis.  I am thinking that a new (pre-engaged) starter and a matching replacement ring gear for my existing flywheel are all I need for the changeover???

(Hopefully this is not too much of a thread hijack..)

Cheers, Ian

Email is in my profile.

I can get you in contact with some OMO (Ohio Mini Owners) and COMO (Central Ohio Mini Owners).

Great group of people.

SxS (Pronounced side by side)

We have the same mini model, Mini special, but you have the 1100 engine and i have the 998. Im sure the manufacturer wont call them   Mini Special for nothing. They are the limited edition version of the modern cars.  

Mur is a purist, he must have not heard about pre engaged starters, they are pretty new modern starters for  minis nowadays. I cant blame him.

that is a very nice mini, take good care of it.

Join the Ohio Mini Owners club. There are all sorts of people in that crowd capable of sorting this out.

Do NOT ever follow the advice of the troll mini4ever. At best, he repeats someone else's knowledge and gets it wrong.

This is an easy fix from an experienced mini mechanic's perspective.

I am in Northern OHIO, zip 43440 to be exact....  Mur, what you suggest would be  AWESOME!!!  ...  I could also trailer it up and take it somewhere for a weekend getaway to enjoy the nice relaxing and educational time that generally goes along with fixing cars.   ...   (I think I was dreaming a bit there, but who knows...)      I could easily travel between chicago, IL...  Cincinnatti, Rochester Ny..  for a few days..   

IAN,  I would not say that I have anything "special"... I actually am in the process to determine what exactly did my wife acquired.   I call it her "Mid Life Crisis Car"  ... Thus being my "Mid Life Crisis Project" ....  It does state "Mini Special" on the badge on the trunk lid.   It has a sun roof too...   That is about as special as it gets...   Standard 1100 engine as far as I can tell  even with the broken upper motor mount bolt that goes into the block.  Leaks oil (best I can tell.. valve cover gasket) and presently stopped running the day we put my wife's "vanity" plates on it.  Go Figure..   It must not like the name -"George"..  For "Shorty George".   The car clearly seems to be suffering from neglect.  Interior and wiring looks like a mess.. 

I would be very interested in changing the starter to a "pre-engaged" starter.  I am though not very familiar with the what to change it with.  I will have to search this forum, I am sure the exact part numbers needed are there.  I did see that some need shimmed..  Is that the case with all "pre-engaged" starters?

I will have to look at the starter shaft.  I suppose worn starter bearings will also cause for misalignment with the ring gear.  I have sitting in my bench vice presently.  I started to look at the brushes to see how worn they were, but didn't get very far.    

I will have to look for some second hand parts, as this may become expensive .....uh..  VERY FAST..

Replace it with a 14:1 ratio pre-engaged starter, smooth engaging, quick starting.....prevents flywheel dentures...and life will be easier

All Cupcakes advice is good...

However, a few more points.  IME, on reason for a chewed ring gear/starter teeth is a bent starter drive shaft.  One way to check is to remove the starter and apply 12V.. HOWEVER, BE VERY CAREFUL....  The starter operates with lots of torque and needs to be VERY firmly restrained when power is applied.  If the shaft is bent you need a new starter (or a significant rebuild).  If the shaft is OK then the Bendix gear (the starter gears) can be (relatively) easily changed.

And, while yes, you can just change the ring gear I would suggest that unless you have something special, a second hand standard flywheel would be a cheaper and easier option...

Cheers, Ian

This sounds like where i started off lol god that was a disaster for me..a lot of broken tools and frustration.

Lifes easy nowadays ;)

Where are you? Perhaps someone lives near you and would come over with the tools and experience you need for this.

Thanks for the advice,  I think I will take a shot at getting the housing off this weekend.   If I can't I will start to figure out how to get the engine out of the car.  If I get the housing off, then I will see what room I have for the puller and possible what else is damaged.   

I will need to get a Flywheel Puller.   I see on the website the KAD heavy duty and the Austin Mini heavy duty any recommendations? 

12G676 looks to be ring gear.
  
What else should I look at replacing when this is all apart?  The Clutch seem to work fine, but this may be a different story once it comes apart.

The nut is the clutch throw out stop nut. What it does is limit the throw of the clutch but its not entirely necessary. There are those who remove the nut. There is supposed to be a lock nut to keep it in place. Since yours is off, you could leave it that way.

You are stuck with the starter. A new starter will also jam in the ring gear so there's no point in installing one. Your problem is quite common because the engine tends to stop in the same place and the starter engages the ring gear in the same place over and over. You need to replace the ring gear not the entire flywheel. You can remove the flywheel with the engine in place. You have to lift the motor a bit to get out the bottom clutch cover bolt unless a PO has cut a slot in the cover at the bottom hole in which case you can just loosed the bolt. You'll need a flywheel puller. Often flywheels are solidly fused to the crankshaft and are difficult to get off. An impact wrench on the puller seems to sole this problem. 

HI Everyone,
I am new to the mini world, and have come to my next hurdle.  I have a 1978 Mini with an 1100 with what I believe is a pre-verto clutch.

I am experiencing some starter problems which the starter gear gets stuck in the fly wheel..  When I finally got the starter out, I can see the flywheel is chewed up and in my opinion not looking very good.   I can see two different sections of about 5 teeth in a row where they are chewed up.  

I think my starter is not engaging all the way and getting wedged up.  The starter system I have has the solenoid on the fender well and the long stem starter where the gear moves toward the starter to engage the wheel (inertial i believe)..  The starter gear is not too bad,  i have seem a lot worse.

I think I am going to replace the starter anyway and I am wondering if there is a different starter that can engage the flywheel on the opposite side (where there is good meat on the flywheel teeth)?    

Next question, Can the Pre-Verto flywheel be removed and replaced with the engine in the car?   From reading other posts, looks like I can, but just need to unhook the lower engine mounts and lift the engine a bit (what ever a bit is).  But I have seen many more post that indicates the clutch will need ALOT of persuasion to come out.   I have seen several video of the pullers, and will need to get one for sure.

Last thing,  on the and of the large threaded shaft coming out from the clutch, there is a large flange nut...  What is the importance of this? My nut was wedged in the pan below the engine and not even attached.

I greatly appreciate any advice.  
John