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Weird starting noise.


QuickPaws

Active Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
41
Age
41
City
Gary, Indiana
Vehicle Year
1994
Transmission
Manual
I'm getting the idea my 625 dollar Ranger is going to start costing alot more than I thought it might.

I have a new problem, and again after searching, seem to have come up paws empty. :(

Here's the run down:

When trying to start it, it basically sounds like either the starter cog ( or the flywheel) is skipping teeth and grinding // knocking off each other. Last weekend my best friend ( the trucks regular driver ) went to start it, it made some loud knocking // cracking, and then the starter just spun.

I went and bought a new one ( 144 dollars later... ouch. ) and put it in last night after work...(I looked at both the starter and the flywheel itself ( the section I could see ) and didn't see anything broken, no chipped teeth.... but the starter I pulled out was a junkyard starter ( id'd by the paint marker numbers on it. ) aaaaaaaannnd it's doing basically the same thing.


So in my eyes, this means I have to pull the transmission, drive shaft? and actually inspect the flywheel.. right?

ANY ideas // suggestions // you name it, I'm all for it. We both start working the same place next week, but have different schedules for the first week.. I can drive him and hang out for 5 hours, and make him wait 3 for me to get off work...but after that I'd rather be able to drive the fuel budget friendly vehicle over my 'omfg feed me moAr' Cherokee if I can help it.

Many thanks ahead of time. :)

I should mention that when it's running there's no clanging, rattling, tinging, ticking, or other noise that would otherwise indicate busted teeth // metal sitting in the bottom of the bellhousing // beneath the flywheel.
 
you dont have to pull the trans, just pull the starter back off and check the flywheel, spin the motor by hand, check the flywheeel, until you've seen the whole ring gear on it. also, is the plate between the trans and motor still there? really thin metal one?
 
you dont have to pull the trans, just pull the starter back off and check the flywheel, spin the motor by hand, check the flywheeel, until you've seen the whole ring gear on it. also, is the plate between the trans and motor still there? really thin metal one?

Nifty... will I have to pull the plugs for zero compression, or can I just attach a breaker and socket to the crank nut and turn away?


As for the plate, I'm not sure... but I seem to recall -something- being present between the trans and engine, but without crawling under there again before work I can't say for sure. I'm confident I noticed something though.

**EDIT**

What if the plates gone // missing ?
 
Last edited:
If i remember correctly, it's also a sort of 'shim' for the starter, and when missing could cause problems. You can pull the plugs if you want, but you don't need to.
 
So I've come to the conclusion that the only thing that can be happening is a effed up flywheel. My buddy went to take it to work today ( his first day at the new job with me ) and it wouldn't do anything except spin the starter // make alot of noise. He suspects pieces of the flywheel are missing, I'm on board with that. My days off are tomorrow and Tuesday ( and thankfully I work nights, so I have all day to tinker.. except for Thursday, when I have court... )

So that said, is there anything else I should look at? To me, this is a pretty simple matter of investigate, and rule out. I'm gonna pull the starter tomorrow and do a visual inspection of the flywheel ( per previous poster ) and see if that leads me anywhere. IF it's not that... does anyone have any ideas what else I could check for?
 
If i remember correctly, it's also a sort of 'shim' for the starter, and when missing could cause problems. You can pull the plugs if you want, but you don't need to.

If that shim is missing, can I re-shim between the stater and bell housing, or will I have to pull it all apart to put that particular shim in there?
 
do it right or not at all i say. but first inspect and see whats going on with the flywheel, and starter gears. Let us know.
 

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