Starter Question...HELP

[Rabbit]

I just rebuilt the 4.0 for the B2. When I hit the starter it lunges out but doesn't turn the engine. I took it out and jumped it while on the ground. It lunges out and spins. Could it be that the stater is just too weak to turn the engine? I can turn the crank by hand with a ratchet. Please give me some direction here.

 

[88BII]

can you turn the starter gear backwards? if so the bendix is shot.

 

[shadetree]

Weak battery, poor connections.shady

 

[swamprat]

Did you use this starter and engine combo before?

 

[Rabbit]

Did you use this starter and engine combo before?

No the engine and starter are both from a 94 Ex but not from the sme one.

 

[swamprat]

No the engine and starter are both from a 94 Ex but not from the sme one.

Was one manual and one auto? manual and auto have different depth that the gear engauges. Starter could be comeing out to far and hitting the bell housing

 

[AllanD]

If he has an auto trans but a starter intended for a manual trans the starter won't reach far enough.

AD

 

[Rabbit]

I don't remember whether the starter is from an auto or manual. I do know that when it is installed and I send power to it, it will thrust out and humm a little, as if it just doesn't have the strength it needs to turn the flywheel. I'm hoping it's just a weak battery. I'm going to try different one this weekend and see what happens. I may also go to the parts yard and pull a new starter. If I can turn the crank with a ratchet, a good starter should have no problems, right?

 

[dzk007]

If ya got enough juice and the starter is engaging, then it should spin it over.
Try charging the battery for overnight on the low (2 amp) setting and see what it does.

 

[Rabbit]

Thanks for the info guys. Turns out it was just the battery. It would hold a charge and take a load but it wouldn't take a large load. It took 5 minutes on the battery tester @ Advance to show up as bad. I put the new battery in and it fires right up. Now I just need to figure out a little wiring problem. Below is a what I posted on another forum (not much help). Maybe someone can assist with this one (or pm me a copy of the 94 Ex Chilton's wiring diagram). I know this is probably not the right forum but I wanted to roll all of my issues together. Feel free to move it if needs be.


"In my B II 2.9 to 4.0 swap I used a 94 4.0 and A4ld (4x4) with the wiring harness from that engine. I got a dash and wiring harness from a '94 2wd, and I pulled a steering column from a '91 Ranger. Is there an obvious explanation for the fact that when I turn on the head lights or parking lights, both blinker arrows on the instrument panel light up and the panel is rather dim and the bright lights indicator is illuminated when using low beams and goes out when using high beams? Is this merely a compatibility issue between the '91 steering column and the '94 dash? Any help would be greatly appreciated."