I have an 86 bronco I bought from a guy and he said it needed a flexplate. When you try to start it it just grinds. So i took the starter off and had it tested at carquest, and it tested out, so i bought a flex plate and put it on. Put it back together, and same problem, it turns the motor over but grinds like hell, and now its back to just grinding. So what the hell? Do you think that the starter, once its under a load, is failing? Once it starts up, and the starter disengages, its quiet and smooth. So i know its something right there. I was going to just replace the starter but, they are kinda pricey, so i dont want to if i dont have to. Someone i work with mentioned something about shimming the starter but, im not familliar with this. Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance!

Also it has the 4v 351 HO motor auto tranny

 

I have never had to shim a ford starter. When you changed the flexplate did you notice if the large steel plate that goes between the engine and tranny was still there? This plate not only acts as a shim between the two but also locates the starter properly in the bellhouseing. With out it the starter can be to close aor to far from the teeth on the ring gear on the flexplate.

 

Yea that peice is there. Its like 1/8 inch thick? It looked like it was kinda beat up but it was there. kinda bent where the started bolts on but its there. the other weird thing is the bolt on the bottom of the starter bolts to the bell housing but the one on the top is a bolt that runs thru the bell housing and has a nut to tighten it up is this normal? I wonder if i can find that dust cover peice and replace it

 

ive had parts store sell a starter meant for a manual tranny equipped rig. I would make sure the starter you have is for an auto. swing by a wrecking yard and pull a used starter.