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1961 - 1966 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Slick Sixties Ford Truck

starter or ring gear?

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Old May 31, 2010 | 12:49 PM
  #1  
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sammycooks
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From: Lake of the Ozarks
starter or ring gear?

When I start the truck, I get an unholy noise that sounds like someone shaking a bucket of rocks beneath my vehicle. The starter was new (reman) roughly 2 months ago. I can start the truck, and one running i have no issues... though I haven't been starting it unless utterly needed. I have just put her into the garage, and once cooled off, will remove the starter and take a look-see.

If my starter is bunk, I'll replace the drive.

If my ring gear is bunk, what do I do there? I have a rough idea but would like a walk through.

Could it be anything else?

Thanks all.
 
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Old May 31, 2010 | 12:56 PM
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If find it's the ring gear not sure what a replacement cost; if not too bad it can be removed, reversed, and reinstalled. If decide on that route suggest having it done.
 
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Old May 31, 2010 | 04:59 PM
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If the starter drive lands on a spot on the ring gear where the teeth are stripped, the starter will wail like a banshee, the truck will not start.

C5AZ6384A .. Flywheel Ring Gear-184 Teeth / Available from Ford.

MSRP: $87.75 // FTE Ford Dealer Parts Dept sponsor PARTSGUYED.COM price: $63.18.

Fits: 1965/76 F100/350 352/360/390 / 1965/79 F500/750 240/300 I-6.

Fits: 1965/71 Passengers Cars 352/390/410/428.

You should be able to buy this ring gear at NAPA.

The old ring gear is sweated off the flywheel, the new ring gear is sweated on. Autoparts stores with a machine shop can do this.
 
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 07:40 AM
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Looking @ your first post, Are you asking for a walk through of how to take the trans out to get the flywheel off?
 
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 03:23 PM
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Sam , the only way to replace the flywheel gear is remove the transmission or the engine. as they need to be separated to get to the flywheel. if you have a torch wit h aa heating tip or a friend with one you can heat the ring gear part of it , lift it off the flywheel, flip it over and put it back on. i have done it numorus times. you will need to be patient when doing it as you wll want to heat only the gear until it expands enough to slip it off. it take awhile. may be something simple when you pull the stater. reman starters of this year leave a lot to be desired. good luck. dutch
 
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 03:46 PM
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Sammy,

Probably the molten slag from all those alternators you were burning up found its way down into the starter motor and melted thru the case!

Before you worry too much about flywheel ring gears, pull off the inspection plate and check the teeth. Your problem sounds more like a loose part like a clutch bolt(s) to flywheel or starter problem than missing teeth on your flywheel.
 
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 04:35 PM
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whoa, whoa, whoa, Harley... it was only one alternator... nice recall though.

I pulled the starter and the gear was not only chewed, but actually cracked and chipped away in places. I had a buddy turn the crank and inspected the ring gear through the starter hole, it looked worn but good enough for gov't work. Starter (reman) was only 2 months or so old, so swapped it out on warranty and bolted up. Vroom! All's well for now...
 
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 05:11 PM
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I would suggest pulling the inspection cover and checking the whole set of flywheel teeth. Looking through a starter hole and seeing 15 teeth will not tell you the condition of all the teeth.

Chances are if those starter gears were shot, you may have trashed a section of the flywheel. Due to the fact that thing is 14 + inches in diameter there are a ton of teeth to inspect.

It may work fine now, but if the truck stops on a section of bad teeth (on the ring gear). It will just continue to trash starters until you fix it properly.
 
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