After a long saga I finally have my new Powermaster starter (9507) installed to replace the original style starter that was grinding and jamming. Many thanks to those who have me advice along the way. In the process I needed to remove the transmission to replace the ring gear and buy an engine hoist to get the transmission back in. I finally got it started yesterday (the battery was low) and I noticed some grinding after the engine started as I disengage the starter. I pulled it back out and do not see any damage to either the starter or ring gear. I measured the clearance Don the mounting surface to the face of the ring gear and got 1.168" though the spec says it should be 1.125". I see no way to make it get any closer.

Any ideas what might be causing it?

 

This is with the new starter? How do you have it wired up? Are you using the original solenoid? A diagram would be useful.

 

I think this sums it up

 

That should work, if the BAT and IGN terminals on the starter are connected. I'm not sure why you are calling it IGN, you aren't running from there to the coil are you?

Is the starter plate mounting surface perfectly vertical, or tilted up a little?

 

I called it that because that's what they have written on it. I just jumper that to the main wire from the remote solenoid.

I will have to check the vertical question. If I recall the surface that the starter mounts to its parallel to the surface where that plate mounts to the bell housing so at the least the starter should be parallel to the flywheel.

Hopfully I am correct in having the tapered side of the ring gear facing the starter.

 

Shouldn't matter with the Powermaster, I didn't do a thing to my ring gear when I put the PM in.

Was the noise like the starter gear was dragging? Was it continuous or just a brief grind?

IGN undoubtedly refers to the starter contact on the ignition switch.

 

When the battery was low there was a louf click. Once it started there was grino for a montego as I let the key go and speed the starter

 

Does the grinding stop after a little bit?while running

I have a power master 9100 for mine (yet to fire) but used them in the past. Sometimes the gear gets stuck in the ring gear if not shimmed properly.





The loud clicking while the battery is low is just the solenoid trying to work but not enough voltage.

 

The grind after start only happens in the half second as I release the key.

What's odds about the click is that the click occurs several times in succession. In my other cars the solenoid only clicks once per key turn.

 

The IGN contact on the PM is for the internal solenoid. Try hooking the big battery cable going to the starter to the same post as the cable from the battery, BUT remove the jumper between the two starter cables. Then run from the side of the Ford solenoid the cable to the starter used to connect to, to the IGN terminal on the starter. The terminals on the Ford solenoid might be too short to have both big cables on one terminal.