In a sad Sunday afternoon mishap, my wife ran down the driveway to me crying her eyes out with enough crocodile tears to float a battleship! Here's what happened: 1987 Aerostar XLT 3.0 v6 shorty. My wife took the van to the grocery store, about a 4 mile drive, one way. When she started the van up, to come home, the starter stuck. The engine started, but the starter would not disengage. So as the engine was runnning, the starter will still turning over, trying to start an already running 3.0 V6! Sadly, I think the flywheel is shot. She tried everything to turn off the van, put it in N, Park, etc. She said one time the engine did stop, but the starter was still trying to start the engine. Then when she had the key in the "run" position, starter was cranking the engine, it started, but would not release the starter, as it made more of a terrible grinding sound. A "zzzzzzziiing!" sound you would hear, if you tried to start the van with the engine already running. Then, just as she was trying to get it stopped (again) the starter disengaged, and she was able to drive the Aerostar home normally, like nothing was wrong.
Then when I came home, about an hour later, heard what happned in every detail... (more crying LOL) I got the keys to see what's up. Sure enough, when I try to start the Aerostar, nothing catches... the "zzzziiiinnng!" sound, 4-5-6 times. Then, the starter will catch as I crank and the van starts. Turn off, cranks, starts. 4-5 times normal starting, then "zzzziiinnng!" nothing again. Any ideas? The van will sit in the garage until I can get to it later in the week, or next saturday. In the meantime, let me know what you think. Most of all, my wife thinks she ruined our beloved Aerostar (more tears) but I told her over and over, it could have happened to me. This is the original starter, in an '87 Aerostar. Thanks to all in advance, I'll look for your thoughts here. Please let my wife know it's not her fault, she's been sad all night tonight!! Ed

 

Worst case is the flywheel may have lost some teeth. You would think though that it would unbalance the engine.

I think that the bendix is damaged - the part of the starter that engages with the flywheel. When the ignition switch is placed in the start position the starter spins at a high rate of speed, centrifugal force moves the spring loaded bendix forward and engages the fly wheel teeth which turns the engine to initiate the start.Usually the first indication of a malfunction is when you attempt to start the engine, the starter spins with no load and sounds like an electric motor running (which it is). When this happens the bendix spring or retainer washer on the end has usually broken.

 

All modern cars have shift fork starters. the inertia drive "bendix" is still used on lawnmowers and outboards.

Replace the starter. likely will fix problem. Flywheel may have lost teeth but probably not.

Had same problem on honda, exciting. Problem was ignition switch that would not release starter contacts. put car in gear and transmission interlock stopped starter.

Ken

 

(starter drive) Prolly. I am not sure if there is a flywheel or if there is a "flexplate" that bolts on to the flywheel that has the cogs for the starter drive to engage. When you get the starter off you may be able to inspect the internal works without too much trouble. Tell you wife that this can happen to anyone...in fact the same thing happened to me with an old Torino, the solenoid froze up and before i could disconnect the battery cable she started on fire and burned to the ground!

 

Ed, Tell your wife to have an Aerobeer and that it is not her fault, maybe get her an extra dozen flowers tomorrow.

As for your issue, I am 99.9% sure it is your starter is shot and there is very little if any damage to the flexplate, (they usually make the bendix out of a softer metal than the flywheel.) I have had (and seen) the starter fail to retract the bendix before, and is a fairly common failure. Just to make sure, when you remove the starter look up through the hole at the flexplate with a flashlight and check out the condition of the teeth and we will go from there. You might want to manually rotate the engine at the crankbolt so you can see all the teeth.

Most starters only last around 10 years so you should be happy that this one lasted 19 years. Personally i would recomend getting a replacement motorcraft. I have tried cheapos (AC Delco is the worse) and they do not last as long, anywhere from two years to two weeks.

New one on me Ken, everyone I know still calls them bendixs.


FYI, Flywheel's are on MTX vehicles, and part of the clutch plate, Flexplate's are on ATX vehicles.

 

They are colloquially called bendixes, but the concepts of a bendix drive and shift fork starter are different. My 61 t-bird had a bendix drive and while it worked, it worked poorly. ford was the last holdout before moving to the shifter fork / positive engagement type starter. If you go to auto zone and ask for a "bendix" they will translate and give you a starter drive. this is the gear and overrunning clutch (bendixes have no need of a clutch as the starting engine will throw the starter out of engagement.

Modern starters have some magnetic form of positive engagement, either a large solenoid that pulls gear into engagement or what ford calls the moveable pole piece engagement method. many ford starters are the moveable pole piece type. they all work well.

Bendix drives are quite common on lawnmowers and other very small engines. they are characterized by no appurtenances on the starter motor. just a round motor. another name for bendix starters is inertia drive starters. bendix starters are common on airplanes because they are lighter.

Ken

 

Ed,
your wife did a great job getting the Aero home in one piece with no damage...
please don't make her scrub it underneath again with Simple Green...that was painful to read

i hope i last 19 more years

 

Thanks, everyone! All of you are true friends, as I had my wife sit down to read the replies you submitted, #2 through #7. She said all of your replies made her feel much better, and she was even in a happy, laughing, fun kidding around mood late this afternoon and evening. She even printed out your responses, and I saw her reading them again, after dinner. I knew she was serious, because Colleen put on her glasses! When she does that, that tells you she truly is interested in reading and understanding what was said. Thank You, one and all, for making her feel better. Last night, she tossed and turned all night, getting up at least 6-7 times for a "drink of water". I knew the real reason why. Oddly enough, she does not drive the Aerostar often, but since I have both rows of seats removed, it makes the van easy for her to load in the groceries from the rear hatch for her. Then this happens to her, (after I drove the van to Lowes and ran other errands on Friday night and Saturday, with it starting up normaly) now she says this Aerostar is "Christine" (the red '58 Plymouth from Stephen King) and this van likes only me to drive it, and not a "stranger" (her, Colleen) haha
I went out to start the Aerostar today, as the sun was setting. Van started up normal, fuel pump humms as normal, and it started. Let it run for about 5 minutes, shut it off for a minute, started up. Two more times, the same, normal crank and start. However, I am going to change the starter, as I cannot trust it anymore. I don't want this to leave me stranded a month from now, on a dark, rainy night. I will use a Motorcraft starter, and also I think I'll change the relay as well. I can't help but wonder, if it was the relay that stuck, sending the "crank" circuit to the starter, which caused it to remain in the "crank" mode, after the engine was running? The ignition switch seems fine. I only keep 3 keys on the ring, and there is no "slop" or looseness, as I've experienced in other cars with worn switches, where you can remove the key easily, when the engine is runnning. Thank again, everyone. If anyone else has any other ideas, thoughts for me, please post them. Ed*
*Who will be watching the Daytona 500 on Sunday!

 

There are places that will rebuild the starter for about $65. Here in portland the shop will remove/install it for free. Im sure that would be cheaper that a new/refurb motorcraft starter and it will definately fit back into the van. My rebuild has worked perfectly for over 2 years now. Jason

 

Similar problems I've encountered with my van... First, the starter. It was never sure it it wanted to work or not and would hang once in a while. Second, the starter relay was bad. The relay, however, usually causes problems the other way (ie, not starting -vs- 'overstarting'). Third, the actual starter SWITCH over the steering column is bad. This may be the problem you are having. Here's how it plays out... You put in the key and turn it. As the tumbler rotates, a rod is pushed down the steering column to the switch. This switch is a slide switch that may be sticking and not returning to 'neutral' when you let off the key. I have installed a 'horn button' and wired it to jump the relay. If I use the key, the starter will do EXACTLY what yours did. I've melted the plastic off MANY feet of battery/starter cable due to this problem. One day I may fix it!

 

Your posts on the difference between a Bendix and the shift fork explains something to me: On my previous Fords, I was so adept at changing starters I could do it by feel, and often did, in the driveway at night. But my '96 4.0 has 160K, and has the original starter! Here's to the person who made Ford switch. My knuckles thank you.