agonair

Member
The starter on my 88 occasionally will not engage. It will grind. Not everytime, but occasionally. The starter is probably less than 10 years old and has not had allot of use.
Sometimes, I will press the starter button and it will grind, then if you just tap the starter button, it will engage and be fine. Not sure the brand, it does not have a Delco name one it.
I am using the 88 consistently this fall and the grinding is annoying.
Thoughts? Shall I just replace it and forget it?
Good source to get one? Are there American made starters?
This one is 12 volt.
 
As usual, the question is: Gas or diesel?

presumably the gas were a bendix inertia starter and the diesel a pre-engaged type. Different problems and different fixes?
 
''There are two basic types of starter motor.  Bendix and pre-engaged.

Bendix are inertia operated, throwing the starter dog into mesh with the flywheel starter ring-gear.  Yours is the the other type - the pre-engaged starter where the solenoid firstly engages the starter dog into the ring-gear then activates the motor contacts afterengagement.  Jumping across the heavy contacts certainly works for an inertia type, but not necessarily for the pre-engaged - those contacts may only run the starter motor without turning the engine.

Simple voltage checks for any voltage drop will indicate something.  Earth contacts can cause the problem.  I once earthed a starter motor only though the fuel line - it glowed red hot!

Faults could be the solenoid wiring, the solenoid sticking mechanically, the main contacts  burned, the starter dog not engaging (preventing main motor contact), or the starter motor faulty.  They do not normally jam in mesh, as did the bendix type.

The reasons for the change from bendix to pre-engaged is that when the engine fires, a pre-engaged starter continues to crank the engine whereas the bendix would be thrown out of mesh with the ring-gear.  This meant that (particularly with diesels) the bendix type was inappropriate.   Also, there is less ring gear and starter dog wear, a particular problem at one or two points on the ring gear.  Lastly, modern starters can use smaller motors with a gear between motor and dog, so less weight to carry around and a smaller installation space required.

Older pre-engaged starter motors  required the dog adjustment to be set by the user.  Early diesel Landrover were an example.

Careful diagnosis with a multimeter and jumpers can point to where the fault lies.  It is not normally the actual motor unless cranked until something melts or burns!  That is one of the options here, unfortunately.''

Above is a post I put on another forum recently. Although aimed at someone with a pre-engaged starter motor that had been cranked continuously for an excessive time it should help you sort out where your problem lies. You most likely have an inertia starter, but not necessarily so. The bendix is an easily replaceable part; the flywheel ring gear is not.
 
More on the starter - Upon closer inspection, I found that it is a Delco starter that was rebuilt. Stamped - "Rebuilt - 1993." I pulled it off and squirted a little WD40 on the benedix and gear. Helped, but still does it. Right now, we are using it to pull people movers at our local pumpkin patch. Sunday, it pulled 20 loads, so, it was started 20 times or so. It engaged at least 18 times. So a couple of grinds is not too bad.
 

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