🔍 Key Concepts

• Bendix starter drive basic operation – how the pinion moves along a helical shaft to engage the flywheel • The role of shaft rotation vs. springs vs. solenoid in engaging the pinion • Difference between automatic (inertia) engagement and positive mechanical engagement

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens FIRST when you turn the key to start: what actually begins to move before the gears mesh? • Which part of the Bendix design uses inertia and a helical thread so the pinion "walks" into the flywheel gear? • Which option describes an inertia-type engagement, and which options sound like forced mechanical engagement used in other types of starters?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice directly involves rotation of the starter armature/shaft as the trigger for engagement. • Eliminate any options that describe separate mechanical actuators (like a throw-out lever or solenoid plunger) that are typical of non‑Bendix drives. • Confirm which component in a classic Bendix drive is mainly for returning/disengaging the pinion rather than initiating engagement.