I had trouble starting my 85 F-250, after it had set for about a year and a half , the starter sounded bad, so I replaced it, for about the 4th or 5th time over a ten year period. But this new starter doesn't sound any different than the old one I took off or any of the others for that matter. It has kind of a gringing or high pitch sound and the motor doesn't turn over at all. It sounds like it's not engauging into the fly wheel or maybe not engauging correctly? So I took it back off to see and hit the ignition and sure enough the bendix (I believe it's called) just spun it didn't move out. I noticed a small amount of very fine shavings in the bell housing above the fly wheel near where the starter sets.

So I took a screw driver and pried out the bendix a time or two, hit the ignition and it kicked out like it was suppose to. I put it back on and it sounded again like it wasn't engauging in to the fly wheel again or partially engauging. Sometimes it sounds nasty like it's maybe hitting the fly wheel and grinding and if I try to start it to many times it just sounds like its not engauging at all.

I had a friend look at it and he thought maybe the starter wasn't setting in position right? So he put a washer between the starter and the bell housing on the bottom bolt side and it roughly started for a couple starts until later after he had gone. It did that same thing again, not start, it sounded like it wasn't engauging in to the fly wheel.

I do have a smaller battery than should be in it, I don't know if maybe my cranking amps are to low for it to engauge and stay engauged. I have jumped it with another battery but that didn't help.

The teeth on the fly wheel seem to be in good condition surprisingly, as far as how free wheeling the fly wheel is I don't know?

So that's pretty much where I'm at with it, dead in the water. Does any one have any good ideas of what the problem could be and how I can make my truck start and alot smoother?

 

As I was reading your description of the problem I was certain that it was going to be the teeth on the flywheel up to the point that you said it was in good condition.

So I'm going to guess at the possibility that you might have the wrong starter. If it worked a little with the shim, it sounds like it is trying to engage but it is not physically in the right place when it is energized.

If you still have your old starter take a look at the drive gear to see what the wear pattern looks like. You might find that it was just barely engaging at all.

In your place I would check to see if there are other starters for your application.

 

if you went to auto zone that could be your problem- i've taken back SEVERAL ford starters 80-86 since they cant seem to ever get the right model

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the engine size, it's a 351 Winsor. Do you think there might be more than one type of starter for a 351? I guess it sure won't hurt to ask will it? I just assumed that one size starter fit all the same motors? Is there any where to check in here about that?



No, it's not from AZ, but I know what you mean about them! They seem to be kinda like the fast food of automotive stores don't they. They might get your order right and they might not.

 

Im not sure this helps but i have a 351 windsor as well and i ran into a similair problem with auto zones starters. The problem seems that they cut to much off the nose cone, where it mounts up. after three differetn starters and the same thing got one from napa and no more problems.

 

Yeah well, I also went to napa, should of just gone there in the first place, a little bit higher on price, but quality is WAY better, i've always had problems w/ autozone, i dunno why i keep going back lol anyways, yeah this is more of a bashing thread on autozone but oh well its true!! LoL (my first job was at autozone dont ask lmao)

 

I can't say for sure, but I would guess since Ford had made 351W, 351C and 351M there is a likely possibility of confusion.

What a difference a keystroke can make!

 

lol very true bd, except, they messed mine up on a 460 and a 400 lmaoo i found it pretty funny, napa got it right the first time on both, so i was happy anyways, yeahhh i dont like AZ much anymore, which is why iwalked out lmaoo

 

I think it is a local management issue. I have never had a problem with Autozone except when I wanted to buy a part and they would only sell and assembly. I repair my own alternators, so I have to find an auto electric shop to buy parts because none of our local parts stores will stock bearings, brushes and diodes. (just as an example.) But some of the managers won't hire, or can't afford or find good experienced parts men so anyone you talk to is a trainee.

 

lol yeah well, autozone has 3 branches around here filled w/ retards. lol and i also redo my own alts. but either way, even the managers there dont know what the hell they are doing around here lol oh well little rant on autozone its all good lmao

 

I had the same problem with my 85 F250 w/351W auto trans,I trimmed the tin inspection cover around the starter and that fixed my problem

 

I've had good luck at my local autozone. But I delt with the manager there. I also tend to get the more expencive parts with known brand names, than the cheapest one like most of the counter people give you. It's all in the brand name in the part they sell. Like I will get Bosch O2 sensors, Battery cables, Ford Oil and filters, and stuff like that at autozone, but I will not get a waterpump, starter, or things like that from them. etc..

I also thought of the fly wheel being the culprit. It still might be, if you can't see the entire wheel, there may be some damage you haven't noticed. My throw-out bearing on my truck seiezed once, and rounded off the front of the fly wheel teeth and ruined the bendix and gear on the starter I had. I turned the fly wheel around when the clutch was done and it's worked fine ever since.

 

Ok now I have another problem. Thinking the cause of my starter problem might be the relay, I changed the relay. Now, with the ignition on, I have dash lights and door buzzer, but the starter will not even begin to make a noise. I followed most of the test procedures in my Haynes manual, but still nothing.

Does the wire going from the relay to the starter need to be grounded and also does the negative battery terminal wire need to be grounded?

Does any one have any thoughts on what the my new problem might be?

 

If you are talking about the starter selenoid onthe fender well make where it bolts to the inner fender it has a good clean contact because that is how it is grounded also make sure you have good contact on the small terminal.

 

If you short between the large terminal with the battery + cable attached, across to the small terminal marked 'S' it should crank. Try that first and get back with the result.