2.3L ('83-'97) Baffled but I won't give up

[Cravethenight]

i hate when its cold and i have to work on one of the vehicles. that's terrible work

For sure. Well I tried push starting it last night and I must have hooked up the relay wrong because I couldn't get it started by pushing it now

 

[Cravethenight]

Shimming the starter shouldn't be necessary, I have no idea what's going on unless your flywheel is shot... they didn't screw with the starters on manual trans 2.3L's for the most part over the years like they did on the V6's... as long as you have the aluminum spacer plate thing in there you should be fine. Pull the 3 bolts and look at the ring gear, the teeth should be square not rounded, I think I flipped my ring gear last go around... I've used starters from Thunderbirds and Rangers which should be the same (on my '90...) I've been running a Napa unit for a bunch of years... I think the last time I thought it was the starter it ended up being the battery...

Yeah I was thinking flywheel all along but dreading the thought of taking down again. This will be the third time I've had to drop it....

 

[Cravethenight]

Is the engine gasket in?

Right flywheel?

Is it a direct wire or newer style

The old starter had 4 contact points and was exposed as well as a ground to a mounting bolts. This new starter I have is pretty different as it only has a positive and a bolt holes on the back where it looks like something should go. Also the solenoid is completely enclosed on this new one.

 

[Blmpkn]

Yeah I was thinking flywheel all along but dreading the thought of taking down again. This will be the third time I've had to drop it....

I feel your pain.

I used to own a p71 crown vic. Flexplate decided to break on me shortly after purchase.

Drop the trans, replace flexplate, get tranny fully tightened back on.... then realize I forgot the stupid metal spacer plate that fits between motor&trans. AAGHH.

Remove tranny, fit spacer plate, fully tighten trans to motor again, start putting nuts on the converter studs and notice that the converter studs are scraping on one section of the spacer plate WTF! I bent the spacer plate during the first disassembly by using a pry bar to pop the trans off the motor, it was really stuck.

Drop tranny AGAIN, buy replacement plate, install, and all was well.

 

[Cravethenight]

I’ve never shimmed a ford starter, and I’ve replaced many of them. But I’ve never fornicated with a fat chick in a mud puddle sooo there’s that. If both trucks were the same Can you give specifics on what engine and trans combination they have/had to give us a better idea of your situation?

Both 2.3l manual four cylinder 2wd models with a mazda type transmissions believe.

 

[Cravethenight]

I feel your pain.

I used to own a p71 crown vic. Flexplate decided to break on me shortly after purchase.

Drop the trans, replace flexplate, get tranny fully tightened back on.... then realize I forgot the stupid metal spacer plate that fits between motor&trans. AAGHH.

Remove tranny, fit spacer plate, fully tighten trans to motor again, start putting nuts on the converter studs and notice that the converter studs are scraping on one section of the spacer plate WTF! I bent the spacer plate during the first disassembly by using a pry bar to pop the trans off the motor, it was really stuck.

Drop tranny AGAIN, buy replacement plate, install, and all was well.

OMG I'm so sorry, I completely feel your pain though. I'm wondering if it's all just not lining up correctly or if it really is my flywheel. There is a little scraping on the teeth but doesn't look like it would make much of a difference... Although I've been wrong....