Damaged ring-gear?

[Nefarious]

Adding to the rest of your starting problems, I'm starting to suspect that there's damage to my ring-gear.

Sometimes when I go to start, I just get the grinding noise (like when you try to start an already running engine). Increasingly now, when it does start, it half-grinds, as if it's maybe jumping teeth on the ring-gear.

The starter has literally just been refurbed, and there's no apparent problem with that end of the system.

Any other suggestions of what it might be?

[V8CER]

When it happens rock/move the car by hand in gear to rotate the engine slightly this will give the starter another section of ring gear to engage with, if the problem doesnt appear on that start then it is the ring gear.

rgds peter

[Nefarious]

Problem is, when it totally fails to engage, it always fires at the second try (so far), which makes diagnosis a bit tricky. It's the clattery starts that are beginning to worry me now.

[methodwares]

check the starter motor isn't loose

[The AJP Griff]

If my recent experiences are anything to go by,it still sounds like your starter motor.I've just been through hell with mine,and it all started off with a new unit that i thought couldnt be at fault.One rebuild and two more new starters later,i now have a car that starts fine,but my local supplier of the starter still insists that it does not mesh quite right with the ringear,even though i have a lightweight flywheel with a tooth pattern that is supposed to address the bad mesh issue of the original flywheel!
My first starter only made that occasional grating noise after the initial damage had already occured to the unit,and my latest one never makes that noise and turns the car over faster than ever before.

Edited by The AJP Griff on Tuesday 16th September 13:59

[NeilV70R]

Mine occasionally does what sounds like the same thing(normally when it has an audience!!). I removed the starter and checked all the teeth on the ring gear for any signs of damage or burrs etc but could find nothing wrong with it. I also tested the starter numerous times and it worked as it should (not under load though).

Put it all back together and still got the same problem, so it would appear that there is a intermittant problem with the starter when its under load.

Not much help I know, but it might not be the ring gear after all.

[trackcar]

usually the one-way clutch. I've just found a place that seems (at the moment) to be able to deliver good cerbera starters which is more than I can say for many other places out there, most rebuilt cerbera starters are rubbish

[NeilV70R]

Joolz, how much are these better quality starters ? My current one was a recon one fitted by a dealer only 2 years ago - strange how the original managed to last 9 years.

[FarmyardPants]

The starter motor itself sounds like it's doing its job, it's the solenoid that's responsible for engaging and disengaging the drive cog with the ringgear. Maybe have a look at that / try another one?

[GreenV8S]

trackcar said:

usually the one-way clutch.(

Is this normal? Might be of interest to a friend of mine who keeps chewing up the reverse side of the starter pinion due to too much flywheel acceleration when it fires ...