New starter grinding and "engaging" Engine is be turned somehow. 2.8L V6 (Im new here, I posted this in another forum before finding this one)

[MadMax_636]

So, Ive been having issues with my 2.8L V6 for months. First starter replacement worked perfectly and lasted around 1 1/2 months and then just started freewheeling.
Then I got a replacement from oreillys. When I installed that starter it just grinding. Not freewheeling but engaging but unable to turn of there engine. It was a loud grinding and I could hear the motor (Starter motor) spinning but the engine was not cranking/turning over.

I then changed my solenoid and starter using parts I got off rock auto and that starter With this starter and my engine cranked over without an issue. No horrible grinding nothing. Just my engine cranking and running.

Then I came out the next day and the starter would just freewheel and then the solenoid (Fender relay) got stuck and just spun inside itself until I gave it a nice smack (The relay). I then gave up for the day because it was raining.

I then went and got a remanned starter from advanced auto and I went through 2 of them (Both duds and freewheeled) and the third worked. Instead of turning my engine over, It grinding like the crappy oreillys starter.


Ive done A LOT of research but Im sure there's a lot more I haven't read. Ive read changing to a 10 tooth drive gear and putting a 86 - 1990 starter since it fits and has the 10 tooth drive gear already. Will fix my issue. Im just wondering if anyone else has had the issues with the starter grinding and not fully turning over the engine. Just making a ear piercingly horrible sound.
and what fixed it. Im still new to this truck and Ive been pulling my hair out over this since I've been out of a truck since the tail end of September.

 

[Josh B]

Hey Max, welcome to TRS. I'm not very knowledgeable about those issues but sooner or later someone will.
I bought a couple China specials during some harder times and they didn't last long either, after the second one failed I got out my original plus the two and broke em all down and managed to get one working. Later on while I still had the remnants out I got a second one working, it's been riding around packed in a shipping box in my truck tool box ever since.
Later managed to grab a couple Motorcraft at Pickers wrecking yard on a 50% off day, grabbed a couple extra Motorcraft alternators too

 

[Josh B]

I have, in ancient times' taken a very large screwdriver and pried the flywheel around several tooth at a time to check it all out

 

[MadMax_636]

I have, in ancient times' taken a very large screwdriver and pried the flywheel around several tooth at a time to check it all out

If your talking about turning the engine over to check out the flywheel. My brother and I used a breaker bar and the right socket for the crackshaft to turn it over. They were all good.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I would grab a straight edge and measuring stick and check depth of fexplate/flywheel teeth. Then measure the starter depth of mounting to drive teeth while powered on the bench. Perhaps the rebuilders used the wrong housing.
Check the overrunning clutch drive to make sure it freewheels in one direction only.

 

[enginepaul]

Genuine Motorcraft starters are pretty much indestructible. I got a bad flywheel, made in China; changed starter gear to a gear with less teeth.
The starters were all the same for several years so the nose depth should be right.

 

[wildbill23c]

Same issue I had with my 84 Bronco 2's 2.8L V6. Original starter died...replaced with part store starter, after a couple of cycles the starter would start grinding and never engage....luckily being a manual transmission I'd either park on a hill or push start it. That's ridiculous to do every time, so I finally scrapped it. Turns out its a pretty common issue related to the spacer between the transmission and engine. If that spacer is bad, worn, etc. it don't allow the starter to be installed and stay seated properly. After a couple of uses, the starter in my Bronco 2 would slip away from the flywheel just enough to cause it to not engage the flywheel. After several starters and went as far as installing through bolts with washers, lock washers and lock nuts and it still didn't fix it, I finally said the hell with it and got rid of it. Know this now I guess even though I needed a transmission rebuild in my current Bronco 2 when I got it, at least the starter fits properly.

 

[MadMax_636]

Same issue I had with my 84 Bronco 2's 2.8L V6. Original starter died...replaced with part store starter, after a couple of cycles the starter would start grinding and never engage....luckily being a manual transmission I'd either park on a hill or push start it. That's ridiculous to do every time, so I finally scrapped it. Turns out its a pretty common issue related to the spacer between the transmission and engine. If that spacer is bad, worn, etc. it don't allow the starter to be installed and stay seated properly. After a couple of uses, the starter in my Bronco 2 would slip away from the flywheel just enough to cause it to not engage the flywheel. After several starters and went as far as installing through bolts with washers, lock washers and lock nuts and it still didn't fix it, I finally said the hell with it and got rid of it. Know this now I guess even though I needed a transmission rebuild in my current Bronco 2 when I got it, at least the starter fits properly.

Thanks! So your saying the sheet metal like plate that is mounted on the bell housing was the issue? So I need to remove it?

Also how bad of a condition was yours in? So I can grade my and determine mine is the issue. The weird part is that auto parts branded (All had a worn looking Ford Logo on it) starters would only do the grinding (Rubbing is the best description word a can think of) and when I replaced it with a part from rock auto (Had no worn Ford logo on it) it would crank and start my truck

 

[Uncle Gump]

I read this post earlier and although I've never done it...38spl says it has fixed this issue a couple times. He breaks it down at post 15 in his build thread. Not sure it will fix your issue but it might be worth a shot.

Catching up: My Bronco II build thread

Spring 2017 I traded a .38 Spl for this 87 Bronco II. It had a small lift, 31” tires, and a bad engine. 90% rust free with previous mild rollover damage. Had sat for four years. I rebuilt another 2.9, replaced both fuel pumps, and put tires on it.

www.therangerstation.com

 

[wildbill23c]

Thanks! So your saying the sheet metal like plate that is mounted on the bell housing was the issue? So I need to remove it?

Also how bad of a condition was yours in? So I can grade my and determine mine is the issue. The weird part is that auto parts branded (All had a worn looking Ford Logo on it) starters would only do the grinding (Rubbing is the best description word a can think of) and when I replaced it with a part from rock auto (Had no worn Ford logo on it) it would crank and start my truck

No its supposed to be there but it gets worn out, broken, pieces missing, etc. over time and in my case was broke and worn out so it would allow the starter to move out of position resulting in a grinding or starter completely failing to engage the flywheel.