starter clunk

[brownbear]

2 days in a row, I went out in the morning to go to work and when I turned the key I heard a loud clunk under the car and the car didn't start.  I pumped the pedal again and it started up and never had any problems all day.  Does it sound like a starter going bad?  any ideas???

[Smitch]

when I turned the key I heard a loud clunk under the car and the car didn't start. 

When you say "the car didn't start" do you mean that the starter didn't roll the engine over or do you mean that the engine rolled over but didn't start?

Either way, I assume you checked the wires going to the starter and you checked to make sure the starter is still firmly bolted down, right?

[brownbear]

not sure how to answer the first part of the question.  I pumped the pedal, turned the key, and you hear and feel a loud clunk. Try it a second later and it starts.  It runs and drives fine for the rest of the day. I will look into the wires and the bolts tomorrow morning when it's cooler.  I had the starter off to clean it months ago, maybe it wasn't bolted up tight enough, I hope it's something simple like that.  I was checking to see if there were any signs of a starter going bad.  It's only done it after it has sat for the night.

[Smitch]

Let me rephrase... when you hear the clunk does the engine "roll over" as if its trying to start? Or is there nothing happening except the clunk? No high pitched whine, no growl, no engine sound... just a clunk?

Remember that the function of the starter is to "roll the engine over" until it starts.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4588027_starter-work-car_.html

[brownbear]

rollover and clunk.........I checked all the wires and they are all good, I also checked the 2 bolts holding the starter and they are tight.  I can't narrow it down, since it has only done it a couple of times.  I will see if I can get someone to listen while I try to start it in the morning.  Could the noise come from the dist. at all, if it was out of time??/

[Smitch]

OK. So it starts to roll the engine over then it clunks? Does it stop rolling over at this point?

Could the noise come from the dist. at all, if it was out of time??/

Highly unlikely that the clunk comes from the distributor. More likely to be the bendix drive in the starter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendix_drive