Please don't tell me any bad news

[Brown Bear]

Here's the story:

Parents went out of town to Chicago for the week so I had access to the big garage and thought about getting some small repairs out of the way (eg. oil pan gasket-time for oil change anyways, transmission fluid replacement, and replacement of power steering lines). I started with the oil pan gasket first because it seemed logical at the time. Well, 1.25 hours later I had the pan off and cleaned with new gasket, some major ingenuity, some taking the pan down and replacing fallen gasket, and then yet again, I finally had the thing back in place. Sometime, while letting the RTV dry, I did the transmission. Had no problems, really, with any of the two. Put everything back together and put the starter back in. Started her up--it sounded like someone was beating on my truck with an air hammer. Took the starter off and some of the teeth where a little ground. Got a "new" one from Autozone today and put it in--same problem. What's going on here? Is it a simple matter of starter not getting aligned when installed(which seems highly unlikely to me), a bad starter relay/solenoid (ie not unactuating the starter when started), the teeth on the flywheel are nashed from previous starter (which would put me in a very bad mood), or something else? I'm extremely tired and sore from being under her all day yesterday and most of today, very frustrated, and I just can't come up with anything. Please help, she's all I've got. We may have to "go for a little walk in the woods".

Nathaniel

Consequently--she may be up for sale sometime soon.

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1984 Grand Wagoneer
bone stock
P235/75 R15 Daytona Stag XT

[MonsterMash]

This is indeed puzzling. All you messed with were the oil pan and the tranny pan? Did you pull off the inspection plate below the flywheel for a looksee? Does your motor turn over or does the starter just spin on the ring gear?

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" I'm not going to make policy based on guilt."
--Gov. George "Dubya" Bush

"The internal combustion engine is the single greatest threat to life on this planet."
--Vice Pres. Al Gore
(I guess he walks to work?)

'84GW360--"Spinner"
'84 Ford truck ignition
Electric fuel pump
9.50x30x15 Dirt-Diggers
No emmissions crap
Otherwise stock
(soon to be 4v)

[Brown Bear]

The motor will start and will run, albeit very noisily. I had to take the starter off to get to the oil pan bolts, and first time they didn't look bad, but when I took the starter off after the said noise, the teeth right where the starter is are a little nashed, but not seriously. I took the first starter in and had it tested, and it had bad bearings. Could be from the starting it with the problem. I dunno.

[irbob]

Brown Bear,
The only thing I can think of is that the starter isn't disengaging after the engine starts. Your original starter may have been ready to die and the new one you bought could be bad. It has happened before to probably every one of us. Either that or it's time for a push rod adjustment so they don't hit the bottom of the oil pan.

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My FSJeep Site (http://fsjeep.tripod.com/fsjeep/) IFSJA Window Sticker (http://www.angelfire.com/az/irbob/sticker.html)
83 Brougham"Mystery Machine", 360, 999 Auto, NP229, F/Dana 44F, R/AMC 8 7/8", 31X10.5 Pathfinder's, Rancho 9000's, 2" blocks, Custom Turbo II 2.5" single exaust, 3" Performance Products Bodylift. "Have you been off road lately?"

[MonsterMash]

Could you have lost some shims or washers that were in place between your starter and housing? I guess you should have your new starter tested as well. Don't know if a faulty solenoid would cause a starter to remain in the engaged position but I'd check that out too.

------------------
" I'm not going to make policy based on guilt."
--Gov. George "Dubya" Bush

"The internal combustion engine is the single greatest threat to life on this planet."
--Vice Pres. Al Gore
(I guess he walks to work?)

'84GW360--"Spinner"
'84 Ford truck ignition
Electric fuel pump
9.50x30x15 Dirt-Diggers
No emmissions crap
Otherwise stock
(soon to be 4v)

[scotty]

you could test the solenoid easily enough by taking the cable off the starter side.now turn your ignition on.when you touch the starter cable to the positive side of the solenoid,it should start,and when you remove the cable,there is now definately no current going to the starter,since your holding it in your hand. it could be igniton switch(tho i kinda doubt it) or sticking solenoid.if you simply turn the switch to the run position it dont crank,right?how about if you remove the coil wire so it wont start,then crank it?when you let the key back to run,does it still crank?

i have a similar problem.in the woods,the little pin that holds the arm that pushes out the gear broke and fell out,somehow.i stuck a bolt in there and it worked. when i took it back the replacement starter would drag n the flexplate after the engine started,it was horrible.took it back and got another.same thing.tried a reman instead of the new,since it looked to have the same ford housing the one i had on there had.i could not find any other part #s to try.apparantly every 258,401,360,304 with every transmission takes same starter.77 360 with t18,258 with 727...

anyway,i got to comparing the old one to one of the new ones and noticed that the sloppiness of the bolt instead of the pin holding the arm in place let the gear slide alittle further back into the housing.enough that it dont drag the flexplate,apparently. i was able to "band aid" my problem by putting a washer on each bolt between the starter and tranny.my conclusion was that i somehow bent my flex plate.i cant really think of anything else.its got to be an indicator of some mechanicla problem,since ford style starters are definately not menat to be shimmed with washers.it works,tho.im not sure for how long,but im about to pull it anway to put in a t18,so hopefully the mystery will be cleared up then-at least im my case.

were you ever prying on anything anywhere near your flexplate? i cant really think of any other possibilities that would not be there when you pulled it in. loose torque convertor or or flexplate bolts you wouldve notive before you pulled it in,id think-they wouldnt just loosen sitting in your garage.

are ya missing any tools? maybe you left your big wrench in the oil pan http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/smile.gif just kiddin,defiately let us know what fixes it

got my curiousity up on this one...

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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

T18/dana 20 swap very soon
searching for dana 18 to replace the 20...



[This message has been edited by scotty (edited November 02, 2000).]