Trouble Starting Lately

[Prafeston]

Well I've never removed a starter before. I'm gonna try to get it started tomorrow and drive it out to my dad's house where the parts car is...if I need anything I can just steal from it and start doing some troubleshooting.

[Baskinator]

I had a brand new coil go bad on me in a few months, and I hardly ever started the car in that period. Also, check the voltage at your starter solenoid. My brand new one went bad a few weeks ago and it can do some freaky things. They are also pretty cheap, and a (cheaper) manual type will work completely fine with your automatic.

If you get a chance to look at your starter, they are fairly simple to remove and take apart. WAY easier than a carburetor. Just remove two bolts and pull it out, then you pull two screws to open the case. Inspect the drive gear and make sure it moves smoothly, and give it some grease while you're in there. Also, take a can of electric cleaner to remove any gunk that's built up, and make sure the brushes aren't totally worn away. Then throw it all back together and bolt it back in

The brushes are the four copper pieces on the outside of the middle circle (armature). They shouldn't be much more worn down than this.


This is the armature, with the drive gear on the left.

[carnuck]

Just to the right of the gear in the above pic is the "clutch" which is a one way roller device. When the rollers wear out, it slips, causing that spinning without the engine turning noise.

[Prafeston]

Well the got the car started up pretty easy this morning. Stayed running real easy too. Drove it to my dad's where my parts car is and turned it off. Let it sit for a bit...and it wouldn't start again. Took the starter out I didn't feel like anything looked bad right off the bat. Haven't taken it completely apart yet. Might put it back in and try the ICM first. Took the starter, ICM, and starter solenoid off of Threepete in case I need them.

[eaglefreek]

When you say "won't start", do yo mean the starter doesn't turn at all or that the starter turns the engine, but the engine won't start?

[Prafeston]

Sounds like the starter is turning...put it will only engage like for a split second right when the key is turned.

It's the same thing that's happening in this video I posted earlier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH9MkIT2p7w

[eagleman]

Thats the bendex acting up.Either replace with a new bendex or replace the starter as a whole unit.

[eaglefreek]

Thats the bendex acting up.Either replace with a new bendex or replace the starter as a whole unit.

I concur.

[Prafeston]

It started up pretty easy this morning, but did stall out on me when I was trying to make a turn. Started up again pretty easy and I drove to my dad's with no worries after that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6lgEJYThw

[Prafeston]

Well 55 bucks later and a remanufactured starter installed and we are good to go. The starter has a lifetime warranty.

Is there anything maybe wrong with my car that would have made the bendix go out on my starter? I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[TheWraith]

Is there anything maybe wrong with my car that would have made the bendix go out on my starter? I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.

I'd say age.  With so few miles it definitely wasn't abused.

Or maybe it was a Monday or Friday starter.

Congrats on getting it up and running.  Let us know how the timing and carb fine tuning goes.

[eagleman]

Yeah, a bad ring gear will cause a bendex to fail but with so few miles I really doubt that is at fault. My guess is just age. I really doubt when ford designed this started that they intended it to last thirty plus years. Mark it up as a learning curve and be glad it only cost you what it did. Could have been a lot worse! Glad its up and running for ya.

[carnuck]

I see the problem. That's a Ford starter drive and not an AMC one which is longer. Common mistake of rebuilders.

[Prafeston]

Hmmm so the starter had probably been rebuilt or replaced at some point and with the wrong part? So it was only a matter of time before it would fail?

[carnuck]

pretty much. The rebuilders hope you will get past the warranty or forget about it. The correct drives are $5 each more. I used to pack one in the glovebox of my Jtruck. Makes me glad I'm going to 4.0L starter and flywheel now.