Starter Problems!

[74fouronthefloor]

I've got a 73 challenger with a 413 in it.  I pulled the engine this fall and put a new flywheel and clutch on it.  The new flywheel I put on it is for a 440 so the motor will bolt up to the four-speed.  The flywheel I took out of it was for a 440 to.  Everything bolted up and works fine but when I got it running again I started having starter problems.  About 70% of the time when I go to start it the starter won't engage in the flywheel.  If you rock the car and move the flywheel a little it will lock in.  The gear on the starter usually just hits the flywheel but doesn't go into the teeth.  I didn't have any problems until I put the new flywheel in.  I assume that is causing my problems. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Lane

[Aussie Challenger]

  Did you check to see if they were the same dia. & have the same number of teeth? Was the ring gear in the same place on the rim of the flywheel as the old one? Were the teeth on the flywheel burred, was the starter motor gear in good condition?

[Chryco Psycho]

loosen the starter bolts a little ,thereis some wiggle room , could be a bad starer with a weak solinoid as well

[74fouronthefloor]

Thanks for the replies.  The new flywheel I put on it has the right amount of teeth and everything.  The only thing that might be different is the thickness of it.  The starter was basically new (<1000 miles) before I put the new flywheel in. 

[CudaEd]

I once had starter problems on one of my cars. The starter would disengage as soon as it hit the flywheel, making a "clunk" noise. Turned out the ignition was too advanced and the starter couldn't turn the flywheel initially. I don't know if your car has the same symptoms, but I'll just throw that at you.

Good luck.

[74fouronthefloor]

Mine makes a noise like that too but it sounds like the starter gear is just hitting the flywheel and not going into the ring gear.  I never had any problems with it until I put the new flywheel in it.  Would a shim possibly help?

[Aussie Challenger]

  Shiming the starter will only move it further away from the flywheel.
  I would be checking the distance that the ring gear is away from the bellhousing surface and the distance from the starter gear when it is pushed out by the solenoid and the starter flange face to see if it can engage.   

[74fouronthefloor]

This weekend I am going to look at it more, but I just don't understand why it works fine some days and some days it won't line up.  I am going to try to move the starter out just a little with the little bit of slack where the starter bolts on.

[71chally416]

loosen the starter bolts a little ,there is some wiggle room

  I had this very problem and solved it that way when I changed my tranny. Loosen, wiggle it around and retighten. Could be as easy as that.   

[74fouronthefloor]

Thanks for the advice! I hope it works. I am going to try it as soon as I get home this weekend.

[74fouronthefloor]

I loosened up the starter bolts and moved it a little but it didn't help.  I then took the flywheel gaurd pan off the bottom and looked up in there.  The starter gear is really close to the flywheel.  I used a caliper and made sure that the new flywheel is in the same place as the old one and it might be just a little closer but not enough to make a difference.  Any suggestions? Could it be just enough closer that it isn't letting the starter gear turn enough to engage in the ring gear?

[nivvy]

did you maybe have a starter dust cover on before or vice versa..... 

[Chryco Psycho]

this may sound weird but possibly the flywhhel isn`t perfectly round & is tighter to the starter in one or more of the positions it stops in , if all was good before changing the flywheel I would have to assume the problem is in the flywheel

[74fouronthefloor]

Does anyone happen to know how far apart the starter gear and the flywheel should be from each other?  Mine seem pretty close together that is why I wondered if shimming it would help.

[Aussie Challenger]

  This might be way off but do you push the clutch pedal down everytime you start the car?
  I bought an early mustang many years ago, as I don't push the clutch pedal down when starting I had problems engaging the starter, the previous owner always did. To shorten the story the crankshaft thrusts had slipped out     and the crank moved enough away so as to not engage.