starter & or flywheel???

89 xj 4.0
once i get my xj started it makes a high piched noise as if my starter is not disengaging. befor it would just make the noise as soon as the xj started and the noise would stop. now the noise will last a good second or two.
i haven't checked my flywheel or starter yet. i just want an idea before i go diving in to it. all help and ideas are appreciated and welcomed.
thank you
crash02

Spray out the end of the starter with the teeth and the shaft good with brake cleaner. Try not to let the brake cleaner get into the motor much (hold the gear end down). The Bendix end of the starter, is somewhat sealed from motor end, but not totaly.
When you have the shaft cleaned, pry the drive gear forward towards the end and see if you can feel it stick.
The bushing in the end of the starter does wear and may make the shaft sloppy enough, that something in the Bendix may hang a bit.
When you lube the shaft and gear area, be stingy with the grease, it collects sand and dirt and causes problems.
I took one starter solenoid apart, that was full of water in the piston, the piston and piston well was pretty rusty. The solenoid piston was sticking. A coat of vaseline has lasted for the last 15 years or so. Getting the solenoid apart, is a last resort, I rememeber it being pretty ruff the first time. If you try it, you´ll probably need a impact driver, or hammer ratchet, to loosen the screws. The tip for the hammer ratchet, have to fit the screws exactly, to work properly. I have an SAE and a metric set of tips (Phillips and such) and yes there is a difference.

Pull the starter and get your jumper cables.

Connect the negative battery post to the starter case (one of the mounting ears will do,) and connect the other cable to batter positive. TAP the positive cable to the large post on the solenoid - the starter should engage immediately, and disengage as soon as you let off. It might continue to spin, but the drive pinion should retract immediately. If not, it's sticking - you can try to fix it yourself (either the solenoid plunger is binding, the solenoid isn't disengaging all the way, the Bendix drive is sticking on the shaft, or the spring is weak...) or you can just get another one.

Pay attention to which bolts comes out of which hole - one of them is 3/8"-16, and the other is M10x1.5. No, I don't know why either...

5-90

aswome i will go out and try them both. just pulling a starter is pretty easy.
keeping my wife from nagging "are you done yet." or "you pay more attention to that jeep." but i still love her and she love to go jeepin with me.
well thank you and i will get back with the answer as soon as possible.

i cleaned the gear/slide on the starter and it worked.
thank you guys.