I'M NO AUTHORITY ON YOUR VEHICLE

I HAVE SEEN THESE THINGS SHELL OUT ON THERE VEHICLES

SOMETIME THEY DEVELOP CRACKS, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THEM ON.

IF YOU CAN REMOVE THE STARTER AND (FOR INSTANCE) MOUNT A "POINTER" ON THE HOUSING, AND BARELY TOUCH THE METAL BESIDE THE FLYWHEEL TEETH (LIKE RIG A PIECE OF CLOTHES HANGER, BENT TO TOUCH, AND ANCHOR WITH A PAIR OF VISE GRIPS)

THEN WITH THE KEY OUT OF THE SWITCH, HAVE YOUR PAL SLOWLY TURN THE ENGINE OVER AT THE CRANKSHAFT NUT, USING A SOCKET OR WRENCH

YOU WATCH THE "POINTER"....IT SHOULD BARELY DRAG, DURING A FULL REVOLUTION

IF IT "WAVES" OFF OF THE POINTER, OR DRAGS HARD...BENDS THE CLOTHES HANGER....IT WOULD BE SAFE TO ASSUME IT IS WARPED, BENT, OR MAYBE CRACKED.....AND IT ACTUALLY WAVES OR WOBBLES AS IT TURNS

OTHER THAN THAT "TEST"---MAYBE YOUR STARTER'S TEETH ARE ENGAGING TOO....MESHED OR TOO INTERLOCKED IN THE OTHER TEETH. A BETTER WAY TO EXPLAIN THIS IS, MAYBE YOUR STARTER NEEDS TO BE "SHIMMED" AWAY FROM THE OTHER TEETH. AS I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YOUR CAR. MOST AUTO PARTS STORES HAVE "SHIMS" FOR DOING THIS. THEY COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPES AND THICKNESSES (FOR DIFFERENT CARS)

IN THE VEHICLES I HAVE SEEN THAT NEED "SHIMMING", USUALLY THE STARTER WOULD SORTA DRAG (A PROLONGED STRAINING SOUND), MAY NOT TURN OVER AT ALL, SPIN AND TRY TO ENGAGE (SORTA A STRIPPING SOUND).....SEE LINK

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PartSearchCmd?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageId=partTypeList&suggestion=&actionSrc=Form&searchTerm=starter+shims&searchedFrom=header

I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS YOUR SITUATION---MAYBE I HAVE SUGGESTED SOMETHING THAT OTHERS HAVE NOT

KEEP US UPDATED ON WHAT YOU FIND......STILL OTHERS MAY JUMP IN WITH OTHER POSSIBILITIES

THE MEDIC

Answered by CJ MEDEVAC (expert)
6,800 answers provided