Tractor Repair: installing a 8N starter, bench grinder, ford 8n

Question
After solving the trouble I first encountered when removing the starter from my Ford 8N, I had a shop rebuild it for me. Now I am having difficulty reinstalling the starter. It seems to not line up perfect and is stopped about a 1/2 inch short of going in all the way. Could it be the gears not lined up? How do I get it lined up and back in place?

Answer
Hello,

  If someone turned the starter drive gear out to the engaged position, it will have to be spun back into the retracted position.  During normal operation, when the engine starts it will overrun the starter and spin the drive back into the retracted position.  The only way I have been able to get a starter drive to retract on one of these type of starters is to spin it with a wire wheel on a bench grinder.  It has to spin pretty fast before it will retract, so it takes a pretty good grinder with enough power to spin it fast enough.  I hold the drive gear against the wire wheel and get it spinning ( it will make a ratcheting sound )  until it finally retracts.