Starter problems many times

[Cerewis]

I have a 1987 Ranger 4x4 with manual trans and 2.9 engine. Since May of this year I have replaced the starter 5 times. #1 lasted 2 weeks, #2 lasted 1 wk. #3 lasted 2 wk. #4 lasted 3 months. #5 lasted 2 days. When the starter goes I hear a grinding noise like the starter drive is not engaging for enough or to for. When tested the starters seem to be working properly. WHAT COULD BE WRONG??????? PLEASE

 

[BlackBII]

Sounds like the bendix drive isn't fully connecting with the ring gear on the flywheel.

How do the teeth on the flywheel look? They may be worn out.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^^

Welcome to TRS

Remove inspection plate on bottom of bellhousing and look at the Ring Gear, the gear that the starter motor needs to engage to turn the engine over.

Also starter motor gears are not all the same, manual trans and automatics often need different gears on the starter motor, because flywheel and flexplate ring gears are different or at a different place for best engagement.
And some starter motors need to be shimmed, pulled out a bit so they engage but don't "hit" the ring gear.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've had the same problem with an 89 2.9/5-speed standard. I never did figure out the problem. Using the goggle search bar at the top right of this page will return better results than the native search bar. However, I just r+r'd the 4.0 in my 94 ranger. The first time I put it together the metal plate between the motor and trans slipped a little and I had a bitch of a time getting the starter back in. The second time I put the motor in I made sure the plate didn't move out of place and the starter went in much easier. I wonder if the 2.9's had the plate out of alignment from the factory? I also noticed that, of the three 4.0 plates that I have, one had little tabs that would hook into the bottom of the oil pan to keep alignment, the other two did not. No real help with my post...just some thought on a possible reason for the 2.9 starter eating "bendix" [called "over running clutch drive" in fordspeak] drives.