Abstract: A starter motor includes a housing; an armature shaft having front and rear opposite ends mounted in the housing; armature laminations mounted on the armature shaft; a field coil assembly for causing rotation of the armature shaft, the field coil assembly including three series-connected coils and a shunt coil, all positioned in the housing in surrounding relation to the armature laminations; an inertia style drive mounted on the armature shaft forward of the armature laminations and including a pinion gear for engaging with an engine flywheel during rotation of the armature shaft; a center plate connected to the housing and mounted on the armature shaft between the inertia style drive and the armature laminations; a first ball bearing assembly for mounting the center plate on the armature shaft; a second ball bearing assembly for mounting the front and/or rear ends of the armature shaft in the housing; an oil cap connected to the housing at the front end thereof for providing lubrication of the armature shaf

Abstract: In a starter motor for an internal combustion engine, the starter motor being of the type including a cranking motor, a clutch assembly rotatably connectable with the cranking motor and including a pinion gear slidably mounted on a pinion shaft for engagement with a ring gear of the internal combustion engine, and a solenoid assembly and shift lever for slidably moving the pinion gear into engagement with the ring gear and for rotatably connecting the pinion gear with the cranking motor, the starter motor includes a circumferential groove formed in the distal end of the shaft; a split ring positioned in the groove and including first and second part-annular rings which form, in combination, a circular configuration in the groove extending for an angular extent of approximately 360.degree.; and a retaining ring positioned on the shaft in abutting and surrounding relation to the split ring for maintaining the split ring in the groove.