No crank, no start after changing Flex plate and starter

JESSESGIRL352

MEMBER
2006 FORD F-150
5.4L
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
145,000 MILES

I had to change the flex plate and starter on my truck due to grinding of the starter due to flex plate teeth being worn down. I removed the starter pulled the transmission back and removed and replaced the flex plate and put everything back together and replaced the starter with a new one. Now when I go to start the truck it only clicks it will not crank or start at all. Can anybody please tell me why this occurring?

Monday, December 28th, 2020 AT 5:08 PM

5 Replies

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

The click that you are hearing is the starter solenoid pushing the pinion (teeth) out and it is banging into the flywheel teeth and they are not messing for it to turn the engine.

So we need to find out why they are not messing. I would start with putting a wrench on the crank pulley bolt just to turn the engine over slightly. You don't need to go far, just enough to move the fly wheel to a different position.

If this does not work then we need to suspect the new starter is faulty. If you have the old starter and it was working ok, then I would install that one and just see if it starts the vehicle. If it does, you can leave it and return the new one or exchange it and keep it until this starter fails.

Here is a guide that will help with this. It sounds like you don' t need it but others that visit this page may.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-a-starter-motor

Also, below are the instructions in case you or someone else needs these as well.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair

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Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 AT 3:35 PM

JESSESGIRL352

MEMBER
3 POSTS

I slid the transmission back and tried to turn the motor over with the starter but it makes a grinding noise when I put the transmission back and bolted everything up it just clicks still. Could it possibly be that when I slid the tranny back to replace the flex-plate/flywheel that the torc converter slid out some and would need to be pushed back into place and that it is binding up and that's what's causing me to only get a clicking sound?

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Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 AT 4:28 PM

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Sorry. When you said fly wheel, I missed that this was an automatic.

That is possible that the torque converter came out but normally that would cause an issue when trying to torque everything that it won't actually go back together. Basically the bell housing would sit off the engine and not be flush.

Did you get the torque converter bolts back through the flexplate and tighten the nuts back down?

My bet is still the starter is faulty. Even though it operates when pulled out, does not mean it is able to turn the engine over.

If you have gone to this amount of trouble, I would just throw that old starter on before you pull the transmission back again.

I have done hundreds of these transmissions and starters so I have had that out many times and if you did not remove the converter but only pushed the transmission back, that converter should have stayed in place.

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Wednesday, December 30th, 2020 AT 4:54 PM

JESSESGIRL352

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Thank you for all the advice Kasekenny. I did finally get my truck running again. It was actually the torque converter had slid forward when. I pushed the tranny back. Got it outback into place got. The transmission and all the other lovely things hooked up and bolted down and she started right up first time.

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Thursday, December 31st, 2020 AT 11:12 PM

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

That is great. Thanks for the update. I would not have thought that was going to be in but I am glad you stuck with it and then updated us. Thanks for using 2CarPros. Please come back next time.

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Friday, January 1st, 2021 AT 5:46 PM