Hello everyone,

I've been lurking here for awhile for the wealth of info. I've searched everywhere and cannot find an answer.

I have a 1995 F150 with the 302, Mazda trans, RWD.

I bought it a month ago for something to beat up and use for hauling, etc.

When I bought it, the slave cylinder was starting to go, so I decided to replace everything. I've been working on cars for the better part of the last decade, but I haven't worked on a this type of Ford truck.

I replaced the slave cylinder, master cylinder, hydraulic line, flywheel, pressure plate, and disk. When I put it back together, it made this awful grinding noise on start up and continued in neutral and wouldn't go into gear. Pressing/depressing the clutch does nothing. It continues to grind, metal on metal.

I pulled the tranny again and double checked the flywheel, PP, disk, etc. I noticed the outer edge of the flywheel had been rubbing something. I triple checked all components, made sure everything was torqued to spec, disk and splines lined up, and put it back together. Still makes the constant horrible grind and won't go into gear.

I got under the truck to listen and the noise was coming from the starter, I pulled the starter and could see that it had been grinding the flywheel. Tonight, I took it in and had it tested. It was weak and wobbled a bit. Bingo! That was the problem and bought a new starter.

I just hooked it up and started the truck and the same awful grinding happened.

Pulled the starter and no grind marks on it??

I'm completely lost as to what is going on.

The clutch pedal and cylinders have been bled and work great.

With the truck on, it sounds like gravel spinning around in the bell housing. It is incredibly loud and I cannot shift into gear. Can shift through all gears with the truck turned off.

I've taken every step and checked everything several times. No idea whats going on here.

If anyone has some words of wisdom, I would so greatly appreciate it.

Kind Regards,

Nick

 

My guess is that you have a wrong or bad flywheel, and it destroyed your first starter (and likely your current one). Pull the new starter and see if it is damaged now too.

Why did you replace the flywheel instead of surfacing the old one? Where did you get the replacement? Do you have a manufacturer and part number for the replacement?

 

My guess is that you're right. I pulled the starter and there aren't any marks on it and looks fine.

When I decided to replace everything, I decided to just replace the flywheel, as it looked pretty worn down.

I got everything from closest car parts store. The flywheel is Luk brand and part # is LFW161.

Everything else is Luk brand as well, however, they all fit and work fine.

I guess tonight I will pull the flywheel and compare to old one. I will also take the old and see about resurfacing it.

Thank you very much for your input and I bet it will solve the problem.

Nick

 

Part number checks out and Luk is pretty good, so you may also want to check to see if there are any corresponding numbers on the flywheel itself just to make sure it was correctly packaged.

 

Pulled the flywheel today and compared it to the old one. Exact same Luk model that someone put in previously. I put it all back together enough to be able to crank the engine. Still grinds the same, but not as bad. I did notice a ton of corrosion on cables that go to the starter.

I'm thinking that not enough power is going to the starter. I'm going to check the voltage and see if there are any electrical discrepancies.

Again, thank you for the help!

 

i have a 92 F150 4X4 with the 302 MDO5 trans. mine was grinding on the starter. I spaced the starter away from the trans with some washers. Worked good after that

 

Make sure your starter is for a standard. The starters are different for auto verses standards..

 

Just a thought, but check to see if there is a shim between the flywheel and crank. If someone had the flywheel surfaced in the past, they may have shimmed it out afterward to make up the difference for the slave cylinder. Since you installed a new flywheel, any existing shims should be removed.

 

I got under the truck and manually turned it over. The grinding is coming from the starter. I removed the starter and manually turned it over, no more grinding. I held the starter in place with my hand and turned it over and can feel the flywheel teeth hitting the starter.

This cant be normal? The starter shoots out to engage the flywheel to turn the motor over and then recesses back in, correct? There is no reason for the starter to be engaging the flywheel with the vehicle off...

There was a shim between the flywheel and crank....I wonder if that is the problem...

Guess I will have to pull it again and remove it.

I will also see about spacing it with some washers if that doesn't work

Thank you for your help!

 

I bet this is the problem. I didn't realize it was a shim until you said it...

 

Just wanted to give an update. I pulled the flywheel and removed the shim behind it. Put everything back together and put a couple washers in between the starter and bell housing to back it off about 1/8 of an inch. No grinding and truck starts perfect with zero noise. It also shifts nice and smooth like it used to.

Thanks for the help from everyone!

 

Wasn't part of this thread, but thanks for coming back to update it. Nothing grinds my gears (pun intended) more than unresolved threads