My truck has recently started 'missing' when I go to start it. It happens frequently enough that I don't think it's a missing tooth on the flywheel. I think it's just the starter gear not extending and retracting properly. Is it worth it to buy a starter repair kit for $18 , or should I just get a whole new starter?

 

Could have an auto parts store test the starter? Is it under warranty? I know several manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on starters

 

Time to yank the starter and have a peek at it's teeth, bench test it, too. If its not engaging all the time (with every test) maybe the Bendix spring is shot. Do you have the right starter for your application? Its up to you to decide if your labor is worth the time to rebuild it or buy another one.

You could also pull the plugs and turn it over with a big screwdriver or a tire iron using the flywheel teeth - check if there are any missing.

 

i have no idea how old the starter is, or if it's the right one. i just now the starter came with the truck when i bought it in September 2014 (and i don't have a receipt for a starter in the paperwork i was provided), and the truck has been my daily driver since then, and this problem has only cropped up in the last week or two. till now the starter has been very reliable (had other associated issues, but it IS a 38 year old truck afterall, and most of them have been fixed relatively easily). now sometimes when i turn the key the starter spins without engaging the flywheel. i release the key, wait for it to stop spinning, and hit the key again, and it starts no problem. i haven't had to do the "bounce the truck to get it to catch" business at all.

is replacing that spring a real PITA? my husband is very handy... we were likely just going to do the repair ourselves (unless God forbid it decides it doesn't want to start at all while i'm out in town and it needs to get towed).

 

Replacing the gear or spring ( as I call it - probably a misnomer) is a pain and somewhat tedious. You'll need a gear puller, screwdriver and a beater.
I think you might need feeler gauges to set the depth. (Going from memory here). You'll also need a good dictionary to look up the words you'll invent while doing this procedure.

I think the best bet is to bench test it, or go to a parts store and have them repeatedly test it. While there you could check on the Bendix rebuild part availability.

You could "google" the procedure if you haven't done already and see if you want to tackle the rebuild.

Good luck.

 

If the ring gear (M/T) or flexplate gear has chipped teeth, the starter doesn't always land on the area where the teeth are chipped. So the problem doesn't occur all the time.

Ring gear comes with the M/T flywheel, but is replaceable by itself. If the gear is chipped with A/T, the flexplate has to be replaced.

The starter drive also has teeth, but is not known for chipping. The drive has a spring that breaks.

Pic: Drive is 11350.

 

that's what's getting me... when i went out for some minor shopping on wedsday and thursday this week, literally every other time i turned the key, it would spin. so every time i got in my truck for all my little stops around town, it would follow the pattern of spin-start. then randomly on thursday after several stops... it spun twice instead of starting on the second attempt, and then for the remaining 2 starts before i got home it started normally. i would have thought flywheel if it were more random.

definitely thank you for the extra info and diagram, tho! you rock!~

 

Lifetime warranty (Lol) starter for this '73 at O'Riellys in Sparta TN was something ridiculous cheap just a few weeks ago when we were last there. I don't think it was even 60 bucks, but I could be off a little one way or another.

If I may opine, unless you're prepared to walk Home from where your starter leaves you stranded, call around to see who has one, grab some tools, go pick it up, pay the core, drive out to where it quit, swap it out, drive back to give 'em your old one and get your core charge back, go get someone to drive this second vehicle back, drive back to the truck and then everyone head on Home, I'd change it out now while it's where you want it to be not where it wants to be, lol, ask me how I know...

 

Having a similar issue. Mine is caused by the previous owner not putting lockwashers on the starter bolts. It started to work loose and chewed on the flywheel teeth. It takes me about 5 minutes to pull my starter, I'd get it out and take a look. I had someone turn the engine over by hand and looked at the flywheel teeth all the way around.

Starters are pretty cheap for these trucks, wouldn't be a major job to change. Good luck!

 

Yeah, the starters at my local O'Reilly run $38-$60ish. Just when I brought it up to my husband he mentioned just replacing the bendix because he knew someone else who did that, and i was wondering if it was worth the trouble

 

Not sure if replacing the bendix is worth the couple bucks saved by not replacing the starter but in my world right now every dollar counts.

I guess checking to make sure she's bolted in there tight - as was mentioned - would be the logical first step, and if it is, just pull it.

That's as long as you're sure that when you're trying to start yer truck you can hear the starter spinning, just not engaging.

If you're not hearing anything when you go to start it, check the wiring and the starter relay up on the fender (if your year truck uses one?) both trigger going to the small posts as well as coming off the load side.

I could be way off base, so do update us won't you?