starter or flywheel?
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 62
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From: scarborough maine
starter or flywheel?
I have now replaced my starter five times trying different types of starters......... I assumed the flywheel was in ok shape knowing the engine had recently been rebuilt. I had a professional take a look at it and he said it was good. I also paid this professional to put in another new starter himself and make sure everything was fitting properly. Got the car and it started like a cadillac.....for about 30 times. Then the same story! Starter will one time turn flywheel slowly and the starter pops out of position and makes a really loud grinding sound. By this i mean the drive inside the starter gets unaligned and is not close enough to the flywheel anymore. Could this be lack of power? even though i have a new battery and rebuilt alternator? PLease help this is driving me crazy!! Also i have a carb leak that i havent fixed yet and idles ****ty and doesnt run great (Poss prob?).
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 3,841
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From: Inver Grove Minnesota
I have now replaced my starter five times trying different types of starters......... I assumed the flywheel was in ok shape knowing the engine had recently been rebuilt. I had a professional take a look at it and he said it was good. I also paid this professional to put in another new starter himself and make sure everything was fitting properly. Got the car and it started like a cadillac.....for about 30 times. Then the same story! Starter will one time turn flywheel slowly and the starter pops out of position and makes a really loud grinding sound. By this i mean the drive inside the starter gets unaligned and is not close enough to the flywheel anymore. Could this be lack of power? even though i have a new battery and rebuilt alternator? PLease help this is driving me crazy!! Also i have a carb leak that i havent fixed yet and idles ****ty and doesnt run great (Poss prob?).
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 210
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From: parsippany nj
Did you use shims when you installed the starter? I had a heck of a time with my starter and had to use all different sizes of shims until I found the right amount. In fact, I had to buy more shims than what was supplied with the starter. It was a PIA. Kathy
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
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From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
Make sure your power cable to the starter is clean and tight, but what I suspect is the problem is a ground cable is dirty or loose somewhere, whereby the solinoid is not pushing out far enough to engauge the flywheel, hence the grind...just a thought, the C3 grounds can cause all sorts of weird stuff....good luck 
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Denver PA, surrounded by Amish
Another vote on the starter shims here. I ruined a starter in the exact same way you describe because the gear in the starter was having to wedge itself into the flywheel because it was too tight of a fit. Eventually, the starter gear did not engage all the way because something internal was bent. The solenoid was completing its stroke just fine, but the gear wasn't moving the full amount.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,696
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Make sure that your issue is the starter/flywheel and not the block itself. I bought mine with this minor issue on the starter boss:
The symptoms were disturbingly similar to yours. The solution, unfortunately, is a new block.
The symptoms were disturbingly similar to yours. The solution, unfortunately, is a new block.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,367
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From: Virginia USA
Also buy some new starter bolts and as stated above make sure it is shimmed properly.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
I agree, starters should last years, not months.
Take a look at the starter teeth and the flywheel ring gear teeth. See the shiny parts on the teeth? Thats where its engaging. The fronts of the teeth (flywheel) shouldnt be rounded off, bent, gouged, broke,ect.
I also had to use starter shims on one BB chevy, but it happens to SB as well. And yes, while your under there,make sure ALL grounds are good,clean and tight. Cranking and cranking on a starter will wear it out prematurely due to high heat generated issues.good luck
Take a look at the starter teeth and the flywheel ring gear teeth. See the shiny parts on the teeth? Thats where its engaging. The fronts of the teeth (flywheel) shouldnt be rounded off, bent, gouged, broke,ect.
I also had to use starter shims on one BB chevy, but it happens to SB as well. And yes, while your under there,make sure ALL grounds are good,clean and tight. Cranking and cranking on a starter will wear it out prematurely due to high heat generated issues.good luck
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 127
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From: Miami FL
you could have had that welded, ground down and re-taped no need for a new block
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
Good point about the knurled starter bolts. These GM "babies" have knurling on the bolt shaft where it engages in the starter housing. The knurling takes up some tolerance "slop" in the mounting holes. If you just have plain old SAE bolts, the starter will allow excessive movement and generate alignment problems.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 62
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From: scarborough maine
I brought it back to the mechanic, he now says its the flywheel evne though i told him to make sure it wasn't like 3 time before he put in another starter. so now i get to pay for both jobs.......
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
so he is going to put on another ring gear on the flywheel or get a used/new flywheel? If he chooses to replace the flywheel, keep the old one. I would be a bit peeved about having to return so many times for the same job that was mis-diagnosed to begin with. I mean,heck, all you have to do is LOOK at the flywheel and its right there when you pull the starter.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
I would check out everything that has been mentioned above myself and fix the carb issues on the chance that they are causing my starter to overheat (decreasing its life expectancy) every time I fire up that engine.
My recommendation to you sir, since it appears that your work is being carried out by a mechanic, is to find another mechanic. Your professional would have lost my trust on the first run!!
My recommendation to you sir, since it appears that your work is being carried out by a mechanic, is to find another mechanic. Your professional would have lost my trust on the first run!!
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 62
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From: scarborough maine
how does one determine that a flywheel is trash anyway? i mean it looked perfect to me and i spun the whole thing around. THe starter would always align perfectly too with the paper clip distance.... its just eventually the drive in the starter would get pushed away out of position.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
the first thing you check in the front of the flywheel ring gear teeth,where the starter engages. They should not be gouged or rounded off at the begining of the teeth. I suppose, in this instance, i would also check and make sure the ring gear and the flywheel has NO wobble. If you can see well enough,or what you can see, make sure there are no cracks in either one as well. If all that checks out, then its the starter mounting position or another problem..LOW voltage will shorten/kill ANY electrical motor,as will heat from cranking to long or to much compression/timming issues.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,139
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From: Salina Kansas
definitely check your timing. Shims too, but my personal experience with shims is that you can give or take .010 on the shims and not have a problem. I replaced 2 starters and a ring gear a couple of years ago before I checked the distributor which had moved even with the bolt tight.
