Electrical Need Mini-starter advice

[Oldguyinajeep]

My CJ has always had a horrible grinding when I start it. It actually turns heads when there are people around. I've replaced bendixes and starters to no avail. Last winter, when I replaced the clutch, I replaced the ring gear, starter, AND bell housing. Same noise. Very frustrating. I was telling the story to a mechanic today, and he suggested a mini starter as the solution. Apparently AMC had a lot of issues with this and, unlike other manufacturers setups, shims cannot be used to correct the depth of the starter gear relative to the ring gear. He said a mini starter, with its adjustability could solve the problem.

I'd like to know if anyone else here has had this problem, and if a mini starter was used as a solution. Also, I'd like to know of any particular brand of mini starter that any of you would suggest. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Belizean]

 

[cglax6]

First, I want to start off by saying that I don't claim to be an expert in what your issue is...I can only relate to my own experience with a completely different motor.

Last fall, I built and swapped in a 351w into my CJ5 . Those engines have two different starter options based on the rest of the drivetrain...one for manuals, and one for automatics due to the different depths for flywheel/flexplate. Even though I knew that, I still accidentally ordered the wrong starter and the starter gear would only engage maybe 20% into the flywheel and it would grind like crazy. Once I installed the correct starter, it worked just fine.

Maybe the same issue...

 

[Patrick]

And in my experience with Chevy engines, the old big and heavy starters are inherently much noisier compared to modern mini starters that are equipped with torque assisted gear reduction feature.

 

[Oldguyinajeep]

First of all, thanks for your replies. I've scoured the net for mini starters that might solve the problem. Nothing. I do most of my own mechanical work, but the really challenging stuff goes to a local guy who was a general mechanic for a thousand years, but whose real love was in racing. He deals mainly in performance stuff now, in his waning working years. He likes a challenge. He called a number of manufacturers, and got some good info from PowerMaster.

The solution is complex. Some engines, bell housings, and trannys don't always line up properly (apparently a common problem when racing small block chevys). They have to be lined up using precision instruments and offset dowels on the bell housing. It's not as big of a deal with the engine on a stand, and my guy has done it many times, but is a pain in the <-BAD WORD-> in the vehicle. So... he'll be dropping the tranny and Transfer Case to do the alignment. There is a chance that this won't fix the problem, but it's the only option I have. I'll report back after the work is done. Thanks again for your responses.

 

[Patrick]

Let’s address bell housing alignment. If severe enough, misalignment will ruin a Transmission fast. I doubt that this is the reason for the grinding noise during cranking. For you to measure alignment, you will need a dial indicator attached to the crankshaft, rotate the engine and sweeping the pivot on the bell housing indexing hole for the Transmission . Use the offset dowel pins to reposition the bellhousing relative to the crankshaft as necessary based on dial indicator readings. Once this is done, then check for starter alignment in several flywheel positions. You will have to engage the gear of the starter with the flywheel ring gear by activating the mechanism. The distance between these two gears might or might not be adjustable by shimming depending on your application, but is very critical for proper starter operation and longevity. I am not sure if you want to disassemble your vehicle this far to accomplish all this. I would say try yourself out with the right ministarter and hope for the best. Don’t forget to keep us posted. Good luck.