Missing Bendix Bolt in Flywheel Housing

[sellerby]

This is my first post (well, really the second, but the first doesn't count because I unintentionally posted this message to the Swap Forum) and I want to thank the participants here for the incredibly helpful advice I've found while reading old posts and replies.

My starter motor runs but doesn't crank the engine. I removed the starter today and found that the spring bolt and special washer on the Bendix drive next to the gear end (not the drive head end) were missing. I can only assume that they now reside in the flywheel housing. Do I need to worry about removing them? If so, how best to get at them with the least amount of work?

My theory of how the bolt came loose is that the washer fatigued, failed, and allowed the bolt to gradually back out

I also noticed when examining the Bendix drive that there were no spring clips that I've seen in various Model A parts catalogs. I'll order those along with new bolts and washers. Any other suggestions on improving my Bendix drive? I saw on other posts here that the modern design starter drive has caused problems for many.

Best regards,