Help with bad starter
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Greensboro North Carolina
Help with bad starter
I have a 98 vette 6 speed and I think the starter needs to be replaced. The starter kicks out fine but it is making a grinding noise. The other day it took about 6 attempts before it kicked over the flywheel. I haven't got under there yet. Does anyone have advice or expericence they can throw at me? Thanks 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,927
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From: Glendale NY
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18- '19
Fix It
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[98LS1VETTE]I have a 98 vette 6 speed and I think the starter needs to be replaced. The starter kicks out fine but it is making a grinding noise. The other day it took about 6 attempts before it kicked over the flywheel. I haven't got under there yet. Does anyone have advice or expericence they can throw at me? Thanks
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Sounds like the teeth on the starter gear are bad. I believe the teeth on the flywheel are a harder metal than the teeth on the starter, but I wouldn't wait too long to get it fixed. One of these times.......it's not going to start. To take out the starter....you have to drop part of the exhaust.
[98LS1VETTE]I have a 98 vette 6 speed and I think the starter needs to be replaced. The starter kicks out fine but it is making a grinding noise. The other day it took about 6 attempts before it kicked over the flywheel. I haven't got under there yet. Does anyone have advice or expericence they can throw at me? Thanks
________________________________________ ____________________
Sounds like the teeth on the starter gear are bad. I believe the teeth on the flywheel are a harder metal than the teeth on the starter, but I wouldn't wait too long to get it fixed. One of these times.......it's not going to start. To take out the starter....you have to drop part of the exhaust.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,743
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From: Omaha Nebraska
St. Jude Donor '06
Yes, fix it.... NOW!I once waited to fix a bad starter gear and after a while it wore the ring gear down enough on the flywheel I had to replace it too... Granted it was a Ford Fairmont, but it happened that way... Stupid!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,482
Likes: 1
From: Living the Taxation Dream Indiana
Originally Posted by VRROOOM2
Yes, fix it.... NOW!I once waited to fix a bad starter gear and after a while it wore the ring gear down enough on the flywheel I had to replace it too... Granted it was a Ford Fairmont, but it happened that way... Stupid!!
Replace the starter before you have to change the flywheel too 
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Changing the starter isn't too bad of a job.
If you have the stock exhaust, You'll have to unbolt and drop the H-pipe from the exhaust manifolds to access it.
If you have LT headers, you'll have to remove the pass side header to get to it.
Also, make sure you disconnect the battery, the thick starter wire is a direct connection to the positive battery terminal, it has +12v all the time.
Remove the few wires on the starter and solenoid, remove the 2 starter bolts, and it drops right out.
The starter itself is a fairly common one used on other GM vehicles too, you should be able to find one at a local auto parts store. I had to replace mine back in May, and it was about $120 with the core return.
If you have the stock exhaust, You'll have to unbolt and drop the H-pipe from the exhaust manifolds to access it.
If you have LT headers, you'll have to remove the pass side header to get to it.
Also, make sure you disconnect the battery, the thick starter wire is a direct connection to the positive battery terminal, it has +12v all the time.
Remove the few wires on the starter and solenoid, remove the 2 starter bolts, and it drops right out.
The starter itself is a fairly common one used on other GM vehicles too, you should be able to find one at a local auto parts store. I had to replace mine back in May, and it was about $120 with the core return.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Greensboro North Carolina
Help with bad starter
Luck never stops to visit me. While trying to drop the exhaust I ended up braking the first exhaust bolt I tried to remove. I guess I will have to buy new bolts from the dealer? Other than that the starter looks easy to remove. Any ideas?
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Lake Elsinore, CA
I was going to warn you about those exhaust bolts - they are notorious for breaking. It's best to soak them with WD40 for a couple hours or even overnight before attempting to crack them. Hopefully you'll get them all off without any problems. Also, make sure you document the wiring on the starter before taking them off so you know which wires go on which post.