Starting issue
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From: VA
Starting issue
Posted this in the newer trucks forum part of the site, but it really should be over here in the older trucks section of the site. Hoping you guys can help me out.
Went to start my truck this evening, and the starter seems to spin freely. It isn't engaging with the flywheel. Not sure if it's an issue with bad teeth, bad starter, or wiring.
My starter isn't too easy to pull off. It's tangled up in the header on the passenger side.
Any ideas on where to start?
My engine and truck info is in my signature below.
Went to start my truck this evening, and the starter seems to spin freely. It isn't engaging with the flywheel. Not sure if it's an issue with bad teeth, bad starter, or wiring.
My starter isn't too easy to pull off. It's tangled up in the header on the passenger side.
Any ideas on where to start?
My engine and truck info is in my signature below.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,118
Likes: 149
From: South Dakota
Your starter drive(we used to call it the BENDIX) is bad UNLESS you have a spot on the flywheel(flexplate beings you have an automatic transmission) that has the teeth ground off.
You could try turning the engine a little by hand and then try the starter. If the starter works then, you will know you have a spot where the teeth are ground off the flexplate. If the starter doesn't work after turning the engine a little, quit trying the starter or you will have a bad spot on the flexplate.
If you have a bad drive and the starter otherwise works good, I prefer to just replace the drive in the old starter rather than taking chances with a rebuilt starter. Just don't pull the armature out of the brushes when replacing the drive.
You could try turning the engine a little by hand and then try the starter. If the starter works then, you will know you have a spot where the teeth are ground off the flexplate. If the starter doesn't work after turning the engine a little, quit trying the starter or you will have a bad spot on the flexplate.
If you have a bad drive and the starter otherwise works good, I prefer to just replace the drive in the old starter rather than taking chances with a rebuilt starter. Just don't pull the armature out of the brushes when replacing the drive.
Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,933
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From: VA
Your starter drive(we used to call it the BENDIX) is bad UNLESS you have a spot on the flywheel(flexplate beings you have an automatic transmission) that has the teeth ground off.
You could try turning the engine a little by hand and then try the starter. If the starter works then, you will know you have a spot where the teeth are ground off the flexplate. If the starter doesn't work after turning the engine a little, quit trying the starter or you will have a bad spot on the flexplate.
If you have a bad drive and the starter otherwise works good, I prefer to just replace the drive in the old starter rather than taking chances with a rebuilt starter. Just don't pull the armature out of the brushes when replacing the drive.
You could try turning the engine a little by hand and then try the starter. If the starter works then, you will know you have a spot where the teeth are ground off the flexplate. If the starter doesn't work after turning the engine a little, quit trying the starter or you will have a bad spot on the flexplate.
If you have a bad drive and the starter otherwise works good, I prefer to just replace the drive in the old starter rather than taking chances with a rebuilt starter. Just don't pull the armature out of the brushes when replacing the drive.
Any ideas other than pulling the starter off? The starter will only come of if I take the passenger side heads off, and that would most likely involve lifting that side of the engine to pull the header out. Really a pain. Turns a 20-30 minute starter replacement job into a 2.5+ hour job...
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,118
Likes: 149
From: South Dakota
No other ideas other than pulling the starter off except read the middle paragraph under #2. There should be a big bolt on the front of the crankshaft to turn the engine a little. Use a socket, breaker bar and maybe an extension.
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From: VA
Yeah, I'll try that first, thanks. Really hoping that's not the issue...
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Well, I turned the crankshaft over, and the starter turned the engine over fine. I guess I have a tooth missing on the flex plate. I was just playing with timing adjustments couple of days ago, and I'd just retarded the timing further than I've ever had it. This was right before it was parked and sat for a day. Could that have left the flex plate in a position that it isn't normally left in? Never had any issues starting it, and have never heard any grinding or anything of that nature. I've heard that with an engine, there are certain places that it likes to stop depending on how many times it can turn over when you turn it off. So depending on the compression and timing adjustments, would that leave the flex plate somewhere it usually doesn't end up at? I adjusted the timing back up just a little. I guess I'll see how it does.
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From: VA
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