Odd starter problem, pleade help quick!

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NorthernSwede

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Hi!

I have an odd problem with my starter, it's a 1.9HP SUMMIT mini starter sitting on a TF A904 and a stroked 318 with no odd firmness when turning it by hand and the teeth on the turbine seems fine, none missing or anything.

It's wired with 0 gauge cable directly from a brand new 120A Varta battery, engine and chassi ground is also 0 gauge and properly fastened. I have also had a Mercedes Diesel with jumper cables between batteries to get additional power.

The solenoid cable is about 6mm in diameter and goes through the starting relay which is also fed with a 6mm cable.

Now, the thing that happens is that when I turn the key the starter pulls the engine between 0 inches and a full turn, normally about 2-3inches before the startgear seem to pull out and you get that horrible "SSKKKKKRRR" noice starters can make..

I'm kinda stuck, can't figure out what the problem might be..

Oh, and btw. The starter is brand new.
 
That sounds like the starter itself.
They should never "pull out" when cranking, and it sounds like you have a solid power supply to it.
 
Got the same answer from Summit but sending it back to the US from Sweden or waiting for a replacement isn't an option so can antone give me a more specific answer on what's the fault inside the starter so I gan get it fixed?
 
Either bad starter drive, something bent/ broken in the interior linkage, or a bad solenoid, or debri in the starter. Because of "where you are" I'd pull it apart.

I myself had one from NAPA that developed a slipping starter drive.
 
I had that when a what I throught was a perfectly good battery didn't have any cranking amps left. It would show 12V, but did the same grind noise. Replaced the battery, cleaned the terminals REALLY GOOD before bolting the cables on, and everything worked perfectly. I was about to pull it all apart!!!
 
if its a normal starter (chrylser or denso) that has a solenoid to activate it, it sounds like the solenoid to starter drive actuator rod is made too short and when the solenoid activates it doesn't push the starter drive far enough into the flywheel/ring gear to turn the engine over

also could be built with the wrong starter drive

best way to tell is take starter off and bench test to make sure the drive is pushing out fully when the power is applied to starter
 
This is quite odd I must say, after testing another starter and measuring quite a bit I've come to the conclusion that even after fully extending ther starter gear out of the starter it is just barely touching the teeth of the turbine.

it almost seems as if the the turbine is 1-2mm to far back but how is that even possible? I mean the flexplate should pull it into the correct position right?

Could the reason be that the flexplate might be slightly bent somewhere or do you have any otjer ideas?

Is there a way to het the flex plate down without removing the gearbox by the way? I'm quite sure I have done it before but I cant seem to get any tools in there, I wonder how I did that last time..
 
Even if the flexplate were bent (unlikely), I think the torque converter can go back only ~1/4" before it bottoms out in the tranny. At least that is the gap I remember when installing a transmission, before pulling the torque converter to the flexplate. The starter teeth should well overlap the ring gear when cranking (look a the marks on an old starter), so 1/4" wouldn't matter much. Verify that the engine block is tight to the tranny case everywhere and there aren't any extra shims or plates where the starter mounts and the starter case mounts tight against the block and dust plate. Test the starter while you have it out and measure the extension with a ruler and compare to your engine.

I suggest measuring the voltage drop from the case of the starter (not the engine) to the big post on the starter, while cranking. My guess is <8 V which is why the solenoid is dropping out. All the starter knows is that dV. You likely have a bad ground to the transmission case or from the tranny to the engine. That is common with aluminum and bit me with a 69 Dart alternator and my Mercedes 300D speedometer cable started smoking while cranking.
 
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