Starter locking engine up?
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 37
Likes: 1
Starter locking engine up?
When starting the starter would occasionally grind so I decided to get a new starter. After replacing it started a few times and then locked up. Like it wasn't grinding but wasn't turning over. Tried turning the engine over by hand to move the flywheel but it was locked up. The starter gear wasn't retracting. I guess I need to do the fly wheel now. I thought I would check here for any other things to test before pulling the engine. I re-seated the starter a few times with the same results.
Is there anything else to test here before pulling the engine?
Is there anything else to test here before pulling the engine?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Check the flywheel for run out. It could be loose and wobbling. Hence the binding issue. That means removing the inspection plate and setting up a dial indicator and observing while rotating the engine by hand. A good time to visually inspect it at the same time.
Safety first! Disconnect the negative battery cable so there is no possibility whatsoever of errantly arcing the starter.
Safety first! Disconnect the negative battery cable so there is no possibility whatsoever of errantly arcing the starter.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
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Thanks HIO. The teeth are looking pretty chewed up. I don't own a dial indicator so I cant get a good measurement in that sense at the moment. It doesn't feel loose but my friend said he thought he saw some warping while turning it over. I'll see if I can borrow one tomorrow.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Thanks HIO. The teeth are looking pretty chewed up. I don't own a dial indicator so I cant get a good measurement in that sense at the moment. It doesn't feel loose but my friend said he thought he saw some warping while turning it over. I'll see if I can borrow one tomorrow.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,246
Likes: 303
From: Kenner,La.
Starter locking
Quite often rebuilt starters come with rebuilt drives. The leading edge of the gear has been trimmed back which can cause this to happen, especially if the flywheel is already beat up. Go to the auto store and buy a NEW starter drive. Rebuilt ones will have "rebuilt" stamped on them. Compare the drives and you will see the difference between the end of the gear and the end where it meets with the housing. This may help if the flywheel is not completely trashed.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
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Thanks for the replies. On further inspection the fly wheel looks really chewed up. Some places are missing teeth completely. I guess I'm going to pull the engine. Just need to save up some money for parts.
I'm thinking while the engines out I'll paint the engine compartment black and try and replace all the leaky gaskets from not running the thing for a few years. The engine feels under powered and there's a big lag between putting your foot down and moving so I'll try to figure that out too. It seems okay at lower RPMs but has a hell of a time speeding up to pass people on the interstate.
Anything I should add to my list to check while the engines out?
I'm thinking while the engines out I'll paint the engine compartment black and try and replace all the leaky gaskets from not running the thing for a few years. The engine feels under powered and there's a big lag between putting your foot down and moving so I'll try to figure that out too. It seems okay at lower RPMs but has a hell of a time speeding up to pass people on the interstate.
Anything I should add to my list to check while the engines out?
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,691
Likes: 6
The teeth on my flywheel looked like the following pic. It would start the engine but it would destroy a starter gear after about 2000 miles.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
I didn't see any mention of what transmission you have. If it's an automatic, you would have a flexplate. If you have a manual transmission, you would have a flywheel.
I didn't see any mention of the engine size either. I'm not certain on the FE engines but in the case of a Ford small-block (like a 302), there are two different starter Bendix lengths, depending on the type of transmission you have. The snout length of the Bendix is shorter on a manual transmission starter for a Ford small-block than the Bendix snout length for an automatic transmission.
Aside from the ring gear being chewed up on your flexplate/flywheel, the Bendix drive gear on the starter can get hung up on a perfectly good ring gear (stay engaged and not retract) if the wrong starter is used on a small-block --again, not sure if the Bendix drive snout on a starter for an FE is configured the same way (?).
I didn't see any mention of the engine size either. I'm not certain on the FE engines but in the case of a Ford small-block (like a 302), there are two different starter Bendix lengths, depending on the type of transmission you have. The snout length of the Bendix is shorter on a manual transmission starter for a Ford small-block than the Bendix snout length for an automatic transmission.
Aside from the ring gear being chewed up on your flexplate/flywheel, the Bendix drive gear on the starter can get hung up on a perfectly good ring gear (stay engaged and not retract) if the wrong starter is used on a small-block --again, not sure if the Bendix drive snout on a starter for an FE is configured the same way (?).
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Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
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My bad its a 360 FE with automatic C6. Haha gman that looks about right. If yours still started maybe the flex plate has some run out. Would I have to pull the engine to get the crank or do you mean the bolts you can see through the dust shield?
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
I'd do a compression test before pulling it a part. This may tell to why low on power.
Also common problem some guys never do much of a tune-up and never check if the dizzy vacuum advance is in good working order.
An ez way to check it remove vac hose from carb an sucking on it. You must remove dizzy cap tho so you can watch the vac. can move. If you keep getting air while sucking on the hose it's bad and needs replacing.
Orich
Also common problem some guys never do much of a tune-up and never check if the dizzy vacuum advance is in good working order.
An ez way to check it remove vac hose from carb an sucking on it. You must remove dizzy cap tho so you can watch the vac. can move. If you keep getting air while sucking on the hose it's bad and needs replacing.
Orich
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
I'd do a compression test before pulling it a part. This may tell to why low on power.
Also common problem some guys never do much of a tune-up and never check if the dizzy vacuum advance is in good working order.
An ez way to check it remove vac hose from carb an sucking on it. You must remove dizzy cap tho so you can watch the vac. can move. If you keep getting air while sucking on the hose it's bad and needs replacing.
Orich
Also common problem some guys never do much of a tune-up and never check if the dizzy vacuum advance is in good working order.
An ez way to check it remove vac hose from carb an sucking on it. You must remove dizzy cap tho so you can watch the vac. can move. If you keep getting air while sucking on the hose it's bad and needs replacing.
Orich
Also, if you do pull the engine rather than the tranny, I would change all gaskets, seals, timing chain for a good Cloyes brand set, and the freeze plugs.
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,691
Likes: 6
Like I said, my flex plate looked like that pic. Luckily for me (if you wanna call it luck) the C6 leaked oil to the tune of a qt a week. So I was pulling the C6 anyway to seal it. While there I put in a new flex plate. Now the engine really spins when starting. It's like an entirely different car.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
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Thanks for all the advice fellas. I borrowed a transmission jack from a neighbor and backed the transmission up enough to get flex plate replaced and now it starts like a dream. The hardest part was maneuvering the transmission just right to get that front cross member out of the way. Had some trouble getting the nuts off the torque converter. Learned the hard way that some things should be loosened with a box end and not an air wrench 
Thanks again this was my biggest maintenance project yet
Thanks again this was my biggest maintenance project yet
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
Thanks for all the advice fellas. I borrowed a transmission jack from a neighbor and backed the transmission up enough to get flex plate replaced and now it starts like a dream. The hardest part was maneuvering the transmission just right to get that front cross member out of the way. Had some trouble getting the nuts off the torque converter. Learned the hard way that some things should be loosened with a box end and not an air wrench
Thanks again this was my biggest maintenance project yet
Thanks again this was my biggest maintenance project yet
Those torque converter nuts are locking nuts only meant to be used once. If you re-used them I hope you put some thread locker on the studs so the nuts won't back off. AKA like GM's do.
Both my brother's cars did. 77 vette and other brother's 89 Camaro. Both had never been touched from the factory.