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Old Aug 5, 2007 | 02:10 PM
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I have now replaced the starter 3 times. each time it needs replacing it makes a very loud grinding sound against the flywheel. the flywheel is ok, but for some reason it keeps going through starters. Heat shield problem? Shimming? Not a powerful enough starter?
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Old Aug 5, 2007 | 02:20 PM
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Try using shims, starting with the thinist one in the pack first
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Old Aug 5, 2007 | 02:20 PM
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What parts are town up on the bad starter??.
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Old Aug 5, 2007 | 06:57 PM
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no visible damage, just wouldn't catch the flywheel right and i don't know how to take the starter apart or anything.
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Old Aug 5, 2007 | 11:43 PM
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Sound like the teeth on the flywheel may be damaged. Remove the inspection cover and see how well the Bendix gear engages with the flywheel. (You can remove the cable that feeds the starter but keep the solenoid working so that the Bendix drive slides in.)
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Old Aug 7, 2007 | 10:59 PM
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manually aligned gear to find it was way off and needed shimming, used some shims and got it perfectly aligned (paperclip apart). Started up perfect for about three times. Then i cranked it again and it was struggling to turn the flywheel but was catching, then a loud crack and now i was back to where i started. I looked underneath to find it had unaligned again even with the shims in there now... and the bolts were still securley fastened...... ???
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Old Aug 7, 2007 | 11:04 PM
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one more thing, how easy should it be to turn the flywheel by hand? because i really have to tug on the thing to get it to move a little bit.
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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 12:42 AM
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Is the flywheel tightly bolted to the crank? If the flywheel bolts weren't tightened, it could cause that problem plus some vibration [until the bolts came out...then all he!! would break loose].
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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 04:04 PM
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From: scarborough maine
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flywheels tightend fine, i found the bendix gear stuck in the flywheel and push away like the flywheel was to hard to turn. It has sufficient power from a brand new batery, could it be the starter is not powerful enough?
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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 05:21 PM
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How do you know the flywheel is in good condition? Grinding normally indicates a bad ring gear and a shim will only move them farther apart..
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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 05:49 PM
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Inspection panel removed, mark the flywheel position then rotate engine by hand and check flywheel teeth for damage. Check complete flywheel by ensuring you get back to mark previously made on flywheel. Sounds to me that the starter periodically engages in the damaged area. Typically the engine stops in one of two positions which is probably not where the damage is. Ensure you inspect teeth through a full rotation for damage.

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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 09:11 PM
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sorry to waste everybody's time.... I looked it up myself and it turns out the douche at v.i.p. matched my starter wrong the first time so it was just that i didn't have a powerful enough starter that didn't fit well.
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Old Aug 8, 2007 | 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by thunderlips
sorry to waste everybody's time.... I looked it up myself and it turns out the douche at v.i.p. matched my starter wrong the first time so it was just that i didn't have a powerful enough starter that didn't fit well.
That happend to mt allso with a 400 SBC. It just didnt work caulse BUBBA at the autozome said it would. The bolt nose was to tall.
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