Starter making oddnoise

This has happened a few times to me now, I'll get in, turn the key, and I hear a horrible grinding noise, like the starter gear isnt fully igauging with the big wheel in the tranny (cant remember the technical name for it). So I try again, grinds again, try one more time and it starts like normal. This happens roughly once or twice a week. What is it? Are the two gears not ingauging all the way? Could this be from the mud I found in there when I replaced the old starter with a junkyard one? I cleaned it the best I could.

97' with 176K if that helps too.

Loose mounting bolts, junk in the Bendix/the gear end and a rusty solenoid piston will all do this.
Best guess, clean the gear end of the starter out pretty good and re-lube it.

8Mud said:

Loose mounting bolts, junk in the Bendix/the gear end and a rusty solenoid piston will all do this.
Best guess, clean the gear end of the starter out pretty good and re-lube it.

Click to expand...

When you put the bolts back in put lock washers on em.Mine got so loose last summer it wouldn't even engage the flywheel...Wound up getting a new starter from AutoZone...LIFETIME WARRANTYS ARE GREAT..Put the locks on and ever now and then I'll slide under and see if I can move the starter..so far still workin...

I just think ur jeep is abig hunk of junk!

HAHAHA jk man i dont know what it could be. u always help me fix my jeep.

When you take the starter down to install the lockwashers, make sure to turn the crankshaft around one full turn. Check the flywheel ring gear as you do so - you'll likely find chewed places where the starter Bendix isn't engaging.

Good news? My RENIX flywheel was only $40 + $40 core.

Bad news? Have to tear the transmission out to get to the thing (I was changing my transmission and clutch anyhow.)

It's possible to change just the ring gear - cut the old one off with a cut-off tool of some sort, and put the flywheel in the freezer for two hours. Put the new ring gear in the over for about 20 minutes @ 500*F, and watch the ring gear slip over the flywheel. Let stand one hour to cool and shrink to fit.

5-90