Having a problem starting!

[SuperStang83]

My BIL tried driving his car from TX to PA while he was on leave, but he broke down in TN. The trans went in his car. He just bought this 92 5.0 about 2 months ago and has been sinking money into the cooling system. We got it towed to PA and put in a new trans(T5) and clutch, but left the flywheel on. We got everything back together and the starter would just grind and occasionally start the car so we went to Napa and got a new starter. Put the new starter on and it does the same thing, it will have metal to metal contact, once in a while grind and sometimes start the car. He then tells me that every time he has started the car before that that it would make the metal to metal sounds but still start the car.

We finally ended up pop starting the car, but didn't trust it enough to drive back to TX and yesterday was his last day of leave, so he took off on a plane and left the car here. The plan is for me to fix it then drive it out to him. Right now the car will not start at all on its own power. The starter sits there and spins. Is there any chance that the flywheel could have been put on backwards? It just seems that the starter will not engage the flywheel. Could it be the wrong flywheel. I think the motor is from a 94 Stang, the trans casing from an 87 and the starter bolts right into the bell housing without any problems.

Anyone have any suggestions what could be wrong? Thank you.


Jacob

 

[HISSIN50]

Did you guys happen to look at the ring gear while doing the clutch? Were there signs of it being chewed?

Was the block plate reinstalled?

 

[87AODGT]

usually when you get that grind the flywheel is missing teeth or they're rounded over in a bunch of spots, and once in a while it will hit a decent part and fire up. I know that's what was going on with mine a while back

 

[SuperStang83]

Did you guys happen to look at the ring gear while doing the clutch? Were there signs of it being chewed?

Was the block plate reinstalled?

Honestly we were in such a crunch trying to get him back in time with his car that we didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the ring gear and he never told me that it acted goofy before so I didn't think anything of it. I know that now there is definitely at least one flat spot about 3-4 inches long and the forward side of the ring gear is partially worn and chewed up from trying to start it. Do you think that would be the problem JT?

The block plate that is in the car I don't think is very good because I can look right in the bell housing and see a good portion of the lower flywheel.


Jacob

 

[HISSIN50]

Jacob, I don't know of any great testing methods without pulling the bell. If you had a known good starter and the car does its funkyness, you'd feel good knowing the ring gear or mesh distance is off. But parts-store starters sometimes are iffy right out of the box.

In any case, it sounds like a new flywheel (or ring gear) is needed. I'd consider just getting back in there to replace it (argh). The new starter can be bench tested if you happen to have it out and be at the parts store. It sounds like it would pass however. Are his old and new starters the gear reduction units (piggyback solenoid)?

I'd also ensure the motor grounds are up to par.
Maybe someone else will have some ideas on how to rule things out with all the parts in the car.

Good luck bud. Good to see you posting.

 

[SuperStang83]

Yeah I checked the grounds and cleaned them up. I am just going to take the trans out and put a new flywheel in, but does anyone know how to check it before I put the clutch, bell housing, trans and drive shaft back in? I would hate to pull it all back apart only to find out that I didn't fix the problem!!! I hate that more than anything!!! Thanks a lot.

Jacob

 

[Kdubslugga]

Sounds to me the teeth on the flywheel are shot!!! Put the flywheel on then clutch, bellhousing, and starter, then you can test to make sure the starter and flywheel are properly engaging! This way you know all is good before you put H pipe, Transmission, cross member and driveshaft back on! Its safe ive done it before, you wont hurt a thing, they do it like this for engine dyno's anyways! Just start it up real quick and shut it off a few times!

 

[Kdubslugga]

If your afraid to start car without tranny and stuff. Just put the new flywheel on with clutch and bellhousing and starter. Pull the tfi harness on the distribtor which will keep the car from starting and just crank it over, listening for any loud noises!!

 

[SuperStang83]

Sounds to me the teeth on the flywheel are shot!!! Put the flywheel on then clutch, bellhousing, and starter, then you can test to make sure the starter and flywheel are properly engaging! This way you know all is good before you put H pipe, Transmission, cross member and driveshaft back on! Its safe ive done it before, you wont hurt a thing, they do it like this for engine dyno's anyways! Just start it up real quick and shut it off a few times!

Thanks, I will try it this way and it will definitely save a lot of work!!!


Jacob

 

[SuperStang83]

I just pulled the flywheel out and the teeth aren't near as bad as I thought that they would be. They are all worn a little on the engine side, some more than others, but I was expecting to see totally missing teeth. They are worn, but to me it doesn't look like a reason for the car to not be starting. After removing the flywheel and starter index plate I did some researching and found out that the starter index plate is from an AOD car.

I don't know if the SIP would be causing the problem but it is awfully beat up...fthe flywheel was grinding against it in the center, the plate area around the starter has been removed and it looks like someone took a hammer to it in the starter area so that it would go around the engine block maybe to make room for a bigger starter. Is there anywway that the SIP could be causing the problem? I don't think so, but I am telling him to get another one because it definitely isn't good getting all that debris in the flywheel.

Another thing that has me concerned is that his starter is different than mine. We took mine out of my car in order to try it in his and mine was too big to even fit in his bellhousing to mount up. I don't get that because I know his bellhousing is for an 86-93 Mustang and I am pretty sure that mine is out of an 89GT.

Thanks for the help.


Jacob