liet,

The solonoid system of engaging the starter pinion gear is not a Bendix.

The Bendix system was the an early automatic engagment system which replaced the system where your foot actually engaged the starter gear. U probably don't remember the foot operated starter switch.

The pinion gear was on a spline with a twist. When the starter motor was energized it accelerated quickly because there was no load on it. The twist in the spline drove the pinion gear reward into the ring gear. When the pinion gear got to the end of its travel it was meshed with the ring gear and turned the ring gear. Some of these mechanisms had an integral over-running clutch so the ring gear didn't over-speed the starter.

My '60 Case tractor has this type of starter and Bendix, and it works fine, but I did have to replace the overrunning clutch once.

P E H