Hey guys.I just bought a new starter for my truck. When I go to start it I can hear it spinning but won't engage until I let off the key.It seems like it is catching as the gear is returning into the starter.Is it possible it needs some sort of spacer between the starter and bell housing?Almost seems like the shaft is going out to far and on the way back in it is catching the flywheel.I havent driven it in two weeks and I'm really jonesing.Thanks for any help.Oh by the way every now and then it will catch and turn it over.Thanks.

 

Sounds like your new starter is bad even if it is new. The tolerance on the gear and shaft is very close. A small amount of dirt/rust will stop the gear from sliding far enough to engage the flywheel. Maybe a bit of surface rust formed on the shaft after 2 weeks of sitting? I've had old starters do this and I've cleaned up the shaft with pretty good results. Do not oil it, dust will collect and jamb it in short order.

 

Hey cuda_jim it is a brand new starter.I just installed it today.The old one just stopped working after sitting two weeks.

 

Do you still have the old one? If so, there probably is very little wrong with it. Mine left me set one day in a parking lot, even though it worked just fine 20 minutes earlier.

I borrowed some tools, and dropped it out. Just for the heck of it I decided to take it apart, and the brushes were still in good condition, so I was confused as to why it didn't work. Upon closer inspection I realized that the brush plate had signs of arcing where it attaches to the back cap, and then I realized that the cast aluminum back cap had significant pitting at the four contact points. I scraped the contact points relatively smooth with a chisel, sanded the brush plate smooth, put anitoxidant electrical grease on the contact points and reassembled and reinstalled the starter. The starter immediately worked, and still does several months later. And it cranks much, much faster then it ever has since I bought the truck 2-1/2 years ago.

There are 2 small phillips screws on the back of the starter cap that hold the brush plate against the back cap, which is where the ground current must come from. These screws weren't real tite, so the brush plate was just loose enought that it arced and eventually didn't work. Cleaning these contact areas, preventing corrosion and making those two little screws tight sure solved my problem, and I saved better then $190.00.

It is strange how a rebuilt starter costs about $185 plus tax, but the old starter is worth $190 as a core!

 

Even a brand new rebuilt can be shot. There's no real way to install it wrong unless the wire connections are loose. I'm assuming your batteries are good?

I have my starters rebuilt by a friend, he does it for a living. He was the one informed me of the shaft and gear tolerances. These starters are put togther pretty weel. Most reman's include a new brush plate (see MDB experience above) and a paint job. That's it! He does mine for $35, no paint job tho

 

It is possible to have a new starter that is bad. It happened to me. Got a new one put it in and had the same problem. Took it out after inspecting how I hooked it up (hooked up correctly of course) and took it back and had them check it on the machine and sure enough it was bad. This may not be the problem but dont rule it out.