Two days ago I pulled apart my door and found the clip that was broke and ordered new ones. Today the clips and fan came in but we have the rest of Debby hitting us now so tomorrow I get to fling some parts at it.
Since all the work was done on the truck the new starter has been giving me issues. I'll hit the key and all I get is the clunks of the solenoid and I believe the starter throwing out the gear but no joy on turning the engine over. New parts are junk these days so I need to consider putting in a different starter because I don't want to get stranded. Today I had to turn the key 5 times before the starter actually spun but every time after that it worked properly. Man this is scary not being able to trust a new part.
Does the starter spin, but not turn the engine? Or does it clunk in and nothing spins?
On my 87, the starter would spin, but it wouldn’t catch the flywheel. I did research, I think a lot of it in TRS, and the options were take everything apart and replace the flywheel, or shim the starter closer to the center of the flywheel.
At first, I couldn’t see how shimming the starter would make it catch any better. But the point is not to shim the starter in or out along its axis, it is to go into the bolt holes and put a shim on one side, so the center line of the starter is closer to the centerline of the flywheel.
Turns out you can move the starter in and out about 3/16 to 1/4 Inch by pushing it to one side of the mounting holes.
I took some 1/8 inch aluminum, and cut it into a long V, and shaved the nose a little bit to make it go in easier. Then, on a workbench, I laid a nail down the length, and smacked it pretty hard with a hammer, to create a little U bend to get it between the bolt and the hole a little easier.
As I was putting the bolts in, I slipped them on the outside side to push the starter closer, tapped them in with a piece of flat stock and a little hammer, but the shape then caught under the cap of the bolt and the bolt actually forced them in place as you tightened the bolt.
They looked a lot like the Metal wedge you put in the end of a hammer handle to expand the wood In the hammer head.
Knock on wood, I haven’t had a problem with the starter since. It was the original starter.
BTW, it took longer to write this up than it took to do it.
Hope it helps.