Bad starter and/or bad flywheel?

[Nonstopmaximum]

Hi, my 94 Ranger recently started making a strange rattling noise when I was driving home and when I parked my truck and tried starting it again it tries to start but makes grinding noises and never comes back to life. I looked at my starter and lo and behold the idiot I bought it from used some oddball bolt that was way too long on the top and the starter sat loose and crooked from the time I bought it. Taking a closer look I think the starter is done for but is the flywheel too badly worn? And does anyone know the right kind of bolt I need to put on a new starter properly?

 

[bobbywalter]

tighten it up and keep going

 

[19Walt93]

I'd replace the starter drive and then bolt it back together with a lock washer on the bolt.

 

[SenorNoob]

That bolt hole shouldn't bottom out. Flywheel looks fine. Stater gear is kinda rough but I've seen worse. If the bolt doesn't wanna tighten up it's either cross threaded or the wrong bolt. Pretty sure it should be metric, maybe somebody bought a standard bolt?

 

[Nonstopmaximum]

Alright guys I redid the bolts in the opposite order so moved the bottom bolt to the top holding the starter in tight and the oddball long bolt on the bottom and my truck is back to life! It's the wrong bolt it's too long and bottoms out on the top spot I'm surprised my truck didn't have problems with the starter sooner. I'll work with it this way until I can find the right bolt.