Re: IML: Starter in a '66 Coupe

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

If you go and get a starter from the parts place, it
will likely be "remanufactured", meaning that they
took a used one apart, reused the parts that don't
wear like the cast casing, and put new guts in.  These
aren't as good as new ones, but beggars can't be
choosers.

If you really want to go to town, you can get a much
smaller, stronger interchangeable replacement from a
mid 1990's dodge dakota.  They came out with a newer
design.  This presumes that your starter is the
culprit, and not the ring gear (read on).

The 72 starter that I did the other day had the
Chrysler pentastar cast into it and everything, by the
way.

Starters tend to get noisy and turn the engine slower
as they age.  If you have not had a new one before,
it'd be tough to imagine the difference, but when you
put a rebuilt one in, you'll immediately notice less
noise and faster-turning engine that catches sooner
and seems better put together..

Isn't the ring gear that the starter motor engages in
welded into the torque convertor?  I can't remember.  

Anyway, if it is connected to the torque convertor,
and you had that replaced when the trans was rebuilt,
you may want to have the trans shop look at what went
wrong.  They're the ones that will be qualified to fix
the problem, as the gear that wears out (see the other
post) is between the trans and the engine and can't be
removed unless the engine or trans is removed from the
car.  

If the torque convertor was not replaced at time of
trans rebuild, why?  Did you decline that option
knowing what you were saying no to?  Did they not
offer or suggest it?  Why?  If they did replace it,
why are there teeth that are worn on the new part or
why didn't they notice that the old reused part was
worn before re-assembling.  Seems to me that most
trans places would look at teeth before reassembly to
avoid getting pinned for pre-existing conditions, but
maybe you got a new technician?  

If you have to move the car and the starter won't
engage, you can try putting a wrench on the front of
the engine crank and manually moving the engine 20
degrees or so.  Doing so will line the teeth of the
starter motor and the engine up differently so that
they will engage in an non-worn section and allow you
to start the car for transport to a technician.

If you do this, and the starter engages normally and
then starts spinning, go back and rotate the engine in
the opposite direction to move the worn spot past the
starter, and not in front of it, if that makes sense. 


Please write back with questions if this does not make
sense...

-Kenyon
 


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