need help trouble shooting starter motor problems

[mpierce]

I replaced the flywheel on my 88 ford ranger 4x4 manual tranny. recently had trouble starting motor found out bendix was damaged, checked out flywheel no damage. replaced starter motor, but it will not engage with flywheel, and clashes grinds with flywheel bad noise!! what could be going on here?? I suspect that the drive gears on the starter are not meshing with the flywheel? or the starter and flywheel are not lined up, need to shim the starter? are there different starters such as a 9 tooth starter drive gear and a 10 tooth gear? or a starter for only a manual tranny? any help, suggestions, ideas greatly appreciated, thanks, Mike

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

There is a difference between manual and auto. I'm not personally familiar, just passing on knowledge I've picked up. So there could be other causes I'm unaware of. AFAIK, no to shimming of the starter, that's a chev thing.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[greaseandmetal]

There is a thin metal plate that covers the bell housing. The starter nose goes into a big hole in this plate. The plates job is to hold the starter in the right position to mesh properly with the fly wheel. If the plate is broken or bent (hole edge squished on the lower drivers side edge of the hole) then the starter will be too far away from the flywheel. The bolt holes on the starter are larger than the bolts because it's the plates job to position the starter. Mine was broken/cracked-through near one of the mounting holes. Still trying to find a replacement, not even sure what the proper name for the plate is, but I've heard it called an inspection plate.