starter not disengaging...please help

[illegalFSJ]

If anyone has any input on this it would be very much appreciated. I just spent 2 weeks installing a new engine in the '77 J-10, hooking everything up and bolting everything down. Actually, it was a good used engine, rebuilt only 20K miles ago. First couple of start-ups went well, but then on the first test drive, it sounded really bad: I think it was the starter not disengaging. Then it wouldn't turn off. I had to pull the positive side of the coil off the kill the engine. When I tried to start it again, there was a strange whirring noise. Removed starter and found that the starter had thrown its guts out. So I put in a spare starter I had laying around. But there was the same terrible noise from the back of the engine and the motor wouldn't shut off again. Did I screw up the wiring? Did I screw up the clearences between the starter and flexplate somehow? I was so careful installing this! Please help, I'm near tears. And tell me it's wiring and not the flexplate clearances! The spare starter was for a manual tranny. Are they any different? Thank you.

[joe]

Try replacing the starter solenoid(relay) on the fenderwell. I've had the "won't shut down" prob twice in FSJ's and it was the starter solenoid both times. The aftermarket solenoids are cheap to buy but also cheaply built so now I always carry a spare.

[PhilSine]

You screwed up the wiring somewhere. A starter is a starter is a starter. They all react to voltage the same way and perform the same task regardless of the transmission behind them.

Sounds to me like

1)The starter switch (in the ignition) is not disengaging (unlikely).

or

2) There is a ground causing the starter solenoid to remain engaged,

or

3) You have a bad starter solenoid.

The starter probably blew because it was not built to run for too long a period of time. It has a high current motor that will not sustain extended usage.

That's my opinion off the top of my head. Can't think of anything else off hand without being there.

[Stolen76]

Bad solenoid, bad starter or bad engine ground. I've only seen it with my own eyes a couple of times, but low voltage will sometimes cause a starter to hang in engaged.

[Glenn_tx]

Tap the solenoid with a hammer next time. The contact inside isn't disconnecting when you release the ignition key.

[BIG BAD JON]

Is it getting hot real quick when you try to start your Jeep? I know that if the contacts dont disconnect it will get hot anyway. But if it gets hot really quickly, your problem is a bad ground. Right? :confused:

My starter solenoid had a bad ground and one of the contacts acually burnt off. Luckily it was my ground contact that burnt off or I could have burnt up my wiring! Anyways, dont follow my advice until someone on the forum confirms it. Im only 16 and Im still learning!

[will e]

The starter solenoid provides the current to the starter. Either it is broken or it is getting signal to stay engaged.

Check the small post on the solenoid closest to the large post connected to the battery. (Looking at it from the front it would be the small left post). This should have no volts when the ignition is in the off or run position.

[illegalFSJ]

All right, then. First thing in the morning, she gets a new starter solanoid. Thank you all for your help, I'll let you know if it works!

[lanierboy]

I had this problem and went through a couple of solenoids until I realized that the starter had some burned windings causing it to draw too many amps. By drawing too many amps, it would weld the solenoid contacts and not disengage.

However, a new starter was only $29 at the Advance Auto. Man I love the price of parts for these rigs!

[illegalFSJ]

Thank you everyone for your help when I was at my wits end. Good news and bad however. A new solanoid solved the problem; the engine now shuts off when I turn the key off; but it sounds like a war zone in the back of the motor still. Removed the inspection plates and took a good look. The torque converter seems to be pulled a bit far out of the tranny, although it's not leaking and the bolt heads of the TC to flexplate seem to have an almost negative clearance against that big plate between the motor and tranny. Was there a spacer somewhere I forgot? Or the wrong flexplate (I bought a new one at NAPA to make sure all the teeth were solid and new; the old flexplate was pretty chewed up.) I compared them, and it seemed right. This is so depressing; I guess I'll remove the tranny this time just for a little variety. Has anyone else messed up in this way before?