86 F350 with a 351 Windsor and a T18 4 speed. Old starter went out on me about two weeks ago. The bendix went out, there was a grinding sounding noise and then it was just free spinning. Bought a new reman starter from oreillys, put it in and it started instantly no bad noises or anything and the flywheel teeth looked fine. That starter than died about a week after I installed it, same grinding type of noise and then it was just free spinning. I took it back to oreillys, tested it, said it was good and I did see the bendix kick out, but it was free spinning in the truck and the flywheel teeth still look fine. Now on starter number 3, a reman from oreillys, and it starts the truck fine, but there was a bad clicking noise when the engine was running. Pushed the clutch in then let it out again and the clicking went away. It now only clacks with the clutch pedal pushed in, and it still starts ok but it sounds kind of grindy and nasty? I'm really not sure what is causing these noises and they weren't there before and I don't want to ruin my flywheel and round it off or something stupid. Any advice?

 

Throw out bearing, is what I think, as the noise only happens when you engage it.

Just try slowly pushing the clutch pedal and see when the noise starts. I assume you have a small amount of free play at the top of the clutch pedal...

 

I would take the inspection plate off the bottom of the flywheel(the cover if you have one) and then try to move the flywheel around and back and forth. If it's loose, that would explain the noise and the starter problems.

 

The noise starts when the clutch pedal beings acting on the clutch and it gets progressively louder the more I push the pedal in.

 

When you push on the clutch, you are pushing on the flywheel also. When you are under there, pry on the pressure plate and check to make sure it's not loose also.

 

Set the parking brake and chock the tires. Run the engine at idle, transmission in neutral. Open the hood and position yourself to the side near the front of the engine, in line with the crankshaft pulley. Have a helper cycle the clutch pedal a few times. If you see the crankshaft pulley walk fore and aft, the thrust bearings are worn. When that happens, the whole crankshaft can move forward each time you press the clutch pedal.

 

Went under the truck with a prybar and just pried on the flywheel and clutch a bit, nothing seemed loose, nothing went back or forward or rocked like it was loose so thankfully I don't think that's the issue. I will have to test the thrust bearing theory sometime tomorrow as I am out of time today, but I don *think* that's the issue because this motor was gone through not too long ago I'm fairly certain, and there isn't any metal in the oil or anything like that, but I won't know until I check.

 

If you pryed on the flywheel, you just checked the thrust bearing theory also.

 

So I gets to thinking. Don't worry, I do this for free. I've even been told it's worth every penny.

Let me make sure I understand the timeline correctly. Like a moth to a flame, you were drawn to replacement starters with a lifetime guarantee from a discount chain. Only after installing O'starter #3 did you get the grinding noise when pressing the clutch pedal. This particular noise scenario did not exist with the original starter, with O'starter #1, nor with O'starter #2. It only happened with O'starter #3.

Back to my thrust bearing theory. It's normal for the crankshaft to walk forward a minute amount when you press the clutch pedal. Just a guess, but let's say 0.020" is the normal freeplay. Meanwhile, for reasons unknown, the drive gear on O'starter #3 is not retracting fully, but still clears the ring gear by 0.015" when your foot is off the pedal, so there's no grinding most of the time. But step on the clutch, the crankshaft walks forward 0.020" as normal, causing 0.005" of interference and resultant grinding.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My over-inflated opinion of starters with a lifetime guarantee from a discount chain, see post #23:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post21137490


If you'd like to save the hassle of returning O'starter #3 in exchange for O'starter #4, it's possible to duplicate their rebuild process at home. Actually quite easy, in fact. The secret? Use a high quality spray paint. You want something professional grade to hold up as the O'starter is slid across the counter in exchange for yet another one. Cheap paint will chip and flake off.

If my timeline theory holds up to scrutiny, it might be time to cut your losses and get a legit starter from a reputable source.

 

The reasoning for the O'Reillys starter is because I work there and it was about the same as Rockauto (my usually goto for parts) and it's more convenient if I get it from work. Currently the theory is this current starter is also junk, seeing as how the last one was, and it didn't start making this clicking noise until I installed this one. Already have another on the way, and I'm not paying any extra money for swapping them out like this so don't worry. And believe me I am fully aware of the hit-or-miss quality of the O'Reillys parts, it is purely a convenience thing.

 

One more quick thought:

If the motor was out, was the index plate reinstalled between the engine block and bellhousing? If missing, that would shift the starter aft, closer to the ring gear. Such a change in clearance could lead to grinding.

 

If you are referring to the thin metal plate between the engine and the transmission that the ring on the starter located with, the yes it is present in the motor.

 

I'm surprised nobody's asked about your electrical system. Are the battery, cables and solenoid all working properly? All grounds are present in good condition? Battery fully charged? All connections are solid? No clamp on cable end terminals?

Weak electrical system can cause grinding and incomplete starter bendix engagement.

 

The above in bold is solid thinking there.

 

Yeah, there's some guy on here, and that's his fix for EVERYTHING. Doesn't matter what the problem may be. Slow starter, wiper blades streaking, low blinker fluid, dirty ashtray, you name it...