No start!starter spins
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: dublin ca
No start!starter spins
today i went out for a spin in my 79 vette. After a cruise to the nearby starbuck. i went to start the engine. It spun slow and then the clacking sound came. after another turn of the key it just spun with no engagment . This fooled me beacuse it sounded like a weak batt unable to engage the pinion to the engine. After moving away from the batt i removed the starter and installed a spare. before installing the stater I discovered the flex plate had broken off some gear teath, realizing this is going to cuase me some down time. What could have cause this? normal wear and tear? or the stater pinon bangin against the flx plate due to aweak batt? :nonod:
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,770
Likes: 3
From: St Louis MO
Re: No start!starter spins (zztop)
Yup. Wear and tear. Not necessary to replace it tho. If the missing teeth happen to stop at the pinion again, just rotate the engine a little by grabbing and yanking on a pulley. This happened to my Dad's 93 LT-1 Z28 a little over a year ago. He had just finished washing the engine and a kickback knocked 2 teeth off the ring gear. To date, his engine hasnt stopped on the missing teeth.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: No start!starter spins (zztop)
One thing: the missing teeth are going to throw your flexplate out of balance a touch. May not affect it much but something to be aware of if you start feeling a vibration in the drivetrain.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
From: Kelowna, B.C. Canada
Re: No start!starter spins (zztop)
This is an easy fix. Pull the starter, look at the ring gear for missing teeth.
If the ring gear is good then:
There is a $10.00 fork inside the starter that throws the gear out of the starter to engage the ring gear. Replace the fork, the brushes and the solenoid from the starter. Should take about 1 hour the first time and about 15min every time after that.
Or replace the starter
If the ring gear is good then:
There is a $10.00 fork inside the starter that throws the gear out of the starter to engage the ring gear. Replace the fork, the brushes and the solenoid from the starter. Should take about 1 hour the first time and about 15min every time after that.
Or replace the starter
