Starter issue

[Kevin71]

Won't crank.  Have power to the starter and it spins over but not engaging the gear.  Was suggested to me that maybe the wire was crimped and not enough power was getting to it to kick the solenoid with gear to engage.  Mine has been rewired with the wires hidden so I have these two wires coming from the under the dash going to the starter.  IF ignition is on and they bump together starter makes big screeching noise but doesn't turn the motor over.  The same thing if you turn the inginition.  I disconnected them and put a volt meter inline on the selenoid wire.  When I hit the ignition volt meter goes to 12 volts but the starter does nothing not even screeching.  Take the volt meter out and hit the starter it screeches.  I am at a loss.  I have pulled the starter taken to Oreilly's and they checked and it appears to be working fine.  Any ideas of where to look what to look for?

[70chall440]

Is this factory wiring (or wired like the factory)? Are you using a starter relay? Has this starter ever worked in this car? Sounds to me like the starter gear is not engaging with the flywheel/torque converter meaning that it is not going in far enough or the gear is too far away from the flywheel/torque converter but it is very hard to tell based on your post.

[Kevin71]

It is a new starter.  Not factor wiring.  There is a Relay in the dash behind the gauges.  I believe it is for the starter.  It was cranking.  Has a new rebuilt motor.  Cranked fine once drove it arounnd and next day won't start.  Key ignition used to be real stiff when you cranked then it went to really easy.  The only wire in the car origial was the starter wire.  So I rebuilt the steering column with new ignition swithch.  Reason why is was hard to turn and then easy was a broken off piece of turn signial in the column.  Anyway afterwards cranked one time and wouldn't crank again.  Doing the screeching noise but not turning over. Pulled the starter off and it had a plug in connection for the wires coming from the dash.  Had the starter checked and it was working.  However when I tried to reinstall I couldn't get the darn connectors completely engage.  So I had to get a different starter without the plug in and change the end of the wire.  Still same problem.  Could it be the relay?  It's getting 12 volts to the selinoid and the lugs aren't shorting out against anything.

[JayBee]

I don't know if I'm understanding your situation correctly but here's my story anyway.

Starter would spin like the Tasmanian Devil but motor wouldn't turn over.
Bought a new mini starter and the exact same thing.
My mechanic friend found 2 teeth broken completely off the torque convertor's ring gear.

[Kevin71]

Well I need to pull it and take a look.  Good point.

[Kevin71]

Got under car and can see the gear is engaging but not turning the motor.  No teeth are missing or buggered up.  Can see on starter where it has been engaging flywheel no damage to it.  Turned the motor about 1/8 a turn to make sure it's not locked up.  Thoughts?

[Kevin71]

 Long story short looks like the flywheel teeth are spining and not the flywheel.  Took a pry bar and turned the flywheel but the crank isn't turning.  Have you ever heard of this?

[70chall440]

The ring gear is spinning on the flywheel then. Normally the ring gear is put onto the flywheel using heat wherein the ring gear is expanded by heating and then put onto the flywheel and when it cools it contracts to the point where it will not spin. It sounds like your ring gear has become loose somehow. You can get a new ring gear but I would just get a new flywheel.

[Kevin71]

Are any brands any better than another?

[JayBee]

Long story short looks like the flywheel teeth are spinning and not the flywheel.

  Glad you found it. I had a hunch it had something to do with the ring gear, that's why I chimed in with my scenario, but I never heard of one just spinning on the flywheel. Now we know what all that screeching was.

[Kevin71]

I guess this says a lot about the ability of Magnum starter.  Strong little bugger.  I have spent weeks trying to figure this out.  I should have listened to my wife.  She said it was right there at finger tips I just have to see it.  I though she had to much medical marijuana.