i have a 1986 ford ranger 2.9l v6 bored over with an fm146 transmission about 2 summers ago it was running and then all of a sudden the starter stopped working so i replaced the seloniod wich didnt help then i replaced the starter bought new cables and wires and redid all of them and all it did was make the starter spin so i got a new flywheel and every thin but all it does is just make this awful grinding noise went back to the store and everything is right all the numbers match up but it still will no crank does anyone know what the problem might be rebuilt motor and rebuilt tranny

 

Welcome to FTE.
74 reads & no replies, so i'll see if I can get things started.
Sounds like you developed more than one problem, one electrical, the other mechanical.
If the starter spins, but doesn't engage the flywheel, its usually a bendix hanging up problem. Or missing flywheel teeth, or damage to the bendix assy.
If you've replaced the starter motor with a reman, sometimes if the starter had shims between its casing & the bell housing & the reman didn't come with new ones, or you didn't, or couldn't reuse the old ones, you could have a dimensional problem.
Some thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

You could try turning the engine over by hand with a wrench at the crank pulley to make sure nothing is going on inside the engine. Then take off the flywheel inspection plate and look over the flywheel teeth as you turn over the engine by hand.

 

If the starter motor part spins, but does not engage the gear teeth of the flywheel/flex plate, then it may be defective, or have bad internal connections. The starters of that time had a 'shoe' that got pulled into one of the windings, and did two other things as it went. It moved the bendix drive gear teeth to engage the flywheel, AND closed a mechanical switch internal to the starter to power the 'rest' of the starter beyond the field that moved the 'shoe'.
If it spins, then the teeth are not engaging. Several reasons for that. Bum internals, wrong starter, wrong flywheel, and shimming as was mentioned above.
I would remove the starter, and use jumper cables to apply power.
BEWARE ... BE WARNED
IF you use jumper cables and a battery, two things will happen. 1)SPARKS and 2)the starter will TRY to jump out of your hands. To test, you would connect the black wire to the bare metal of the starter, near where it touches the bell housing. You would then connect the red cable from the post on the starter to the + post of a 12v battery. Then touch the red cable terminal to the cable post on the starter. IT WILL SPARK. IT WILL SPIN AND ROTATE SO FAST YOU CAN'T HOLD ON. Once you have seen it, be prepared, and watch what the gear does at the 'nose' of the starter. It should shoot out towards the end of the starter armature as if to engage the flywheel.
If not, take it back... If it does as advertised, then report back.
tom

 

Put some machine marking on the cleaned flywheel.
Run the starter.
Check the marks on the flywheel for proper contact.
Adjust the starter to match the flywheel contact.
You can adjust the starter by using shims.

 

It is not a engine or electrical problem all of that has been fixed or replaced the problem is the teeth of the starter and new flywheel which is the right one are not meshing together good enough to turn the motor over and no you can not shim this starter only put a spacer on it with just make the problem worse

 

Well if you are so sure of all that, then you must know that you have the wrong starter. You stated the flywheel is the correct one, and is new. The starter cannot mount any different than it does. The electrical is fine, being fixed or replaced. And the flywheel is new, and the right one, installed correctly.
What is left?
Incorrect or bad starter.
Do you still have the old starter? Maybe you could do a visual comparison, and measure the throw of the solenoid to see if the new one kicks the gear out properly.
tom

 

the starter is the right one and it isnt bad that is why i am asking because everything matches and is good but the truck still doesnt wont to work

 

When you try to start the engine, does the starter make a grinding noise? If so, then the teeth are not meshing. If that is the case, and you have the proper starter and flywheel, then either the starter is defective and not extending the gear far enough to mesh, or the flywheel gear teeth are too far recessed into the bell housing.
Your statements indicate there's something wrong, but you can't figure out what it is.

Please elaborate on what is happening when you try to start the engine.
tom

 

Thank you..I had a Bosch starter with the original flywheel but the teeth on the flywheel were so damaged I bought a new one.when they installed it, then the starter could not engage .it makes a loud crunchy sound. I did contact Rock Auto but they are of no help.they sell 5 different starters for the Ford and all look different.I am assuming the gears are not engaging with each other..I did purchase another starter and just waiting for it to arrive..

 

did you consider the inertia switch? Located against firewall passenger leg compartment?

 

morbid... do you think the starter is still on the garage floor 6 years later? didja look at the DATE?
t