2g automatic 6bolt Starter Not meshing up with Flywheel Help! SoS!

[KING4ADAY]

im having meshing problems with my starter and the flywheel and im getting to the point of thinking about just replacing my flywheel. I have done a search on "remove/replace flywheel" only a couple things came up and not enough info. so if you have a link or can tell me how to do it that would be great. i would hope that i wouldnt have to take the tranny all the way out to do this if possible. starter is just barely knicking the corner of the flywheel. enough to barely turn the engine over with a nice grinding sound. the starter that is in there is new and secure , you can check out the flywheel on my other post about "starters universal gsx,fwd auto/manual" im sitting in Limbo right now trying to figure out what to do next . thanks again

 

[cyclonekid77]

In an automatic the "flywheel" is the torque converter. You have to drop the tranny out to remove the torque converter.

 

[toofast82]

You would have to take the tranny out, unfortuanately!
Ring gear is on converter as mentioned.
I would take the starter off and verify it is extending all the way.

 

[KING4ADAY]

since i have you here , can you tell me how to check that the starter is fully engaging out? thank you

 

[toofast82]

keep the electrical connected after you take it out. Try and position it so you can see the starter gear
pull a fuse for your ecu or mpfi so it doesn't spark or spray fuel.
Then have another person turn the key while you watch

You could also fully disconnect it and take it to Autozone and have them load test it

 

[KING4ADAY]

i just bought the car and he said it just started doing this grinding sound. but when i got it back here to the house i noticed that the starter was really loose. i tightened it up and didnt seem to help much.

 

[KING4ADAY]

so also does can i just lower the tranny or does the engine have to come as well ? they look like they are both held by the one cross member... is this something that i can do ? i am fairly mechanically inclined. but im tossing it through my head wondering if it might be better to have a shop do it for me?

 

[KING4ADAY]

if anyone has or knows the steps to replacing the flywheel please let me know thanks

 

[KING4ADAY]

ok looks like ive been calling it by the wrong name , supposedly automatics dont have a flywheel per say its called the drive plate or flex plate(ring Gear) so all info on replacing this would be great!

 

[toofast82]

The flexplate bolts to the crank and attaches to the converter. The ring gear for the starter is part of the converter.

 

[KING4ADAY]

o so im needing to change out the ring gear ? being that that is what meshes with the starters gear??? is that more correctly worded?

 

[toofast82]

o so im needing to change out the ring gear ? being that that is what meshes with the starters gear??? is that more correctly worded?

Good luck with that as its all a welded assembly. You're better off sourcing a different converter altogether, unless by some chance a machine shop could fix it but i doubt it.

 

[jusroln]

The teeth that engage the starter are part of the torque converter. If your teeth are ground down to the point that they won't engage the starter, you would have to replace the whole torque converter. Your looking anywhere from $100-$600 for a replacement converter depending on if you buy a junkyard one or a refurbished one.

To remove the torque converter you must unbolt the transmission from the engine, unbolt all the mounting bolts, remove all the support platesunder the car, remove both axles, remove all the wiring connectors and hoses. You then need to loosen the mounting bolts on the motor. Using a transmission jack, lower the transmission while gradually pulling it away from the motor and tilt the motor. You should be able to get torque converter off without having to remove it from under the chassis.

My suggestion is trying another starter. If you bought a starter from your local parts store, there is a good chance it might just be a POS. Try a different one, maybe even a different manufacturer. I highly doubt all the teeth are so worn down on the TC that it would need replaced. Those teeth are 1/4" thick.

 

[toofast82]

My suggestion is trying another starter. If you bought a starter from your local parts store, there is a good chance it might just be a POS. Try a different one, maybe even a different manufacturer. I highly doubt all the teeth are so worn down on the TC that it would need replaced. Those teeth are 1/4" thick.

I agree and would test the starter out and verify its working properly, both spinning and extending. Unless its been like this for quite some time, there is a possibility the ring gear still may work if its not too damaged. You don't want to start ripping the trans out unless your sure the teeth are too chewed up.

 

[KING4ADAY]

here are couple pics of what condition the gear is in, let me know what you think ? it really doesnt look horribly bad to me but i am a noob to this. thanks again guys your alot of help !

 

[jusroln]

Those teeth look great. I would get that starter checked. Make sure you have the right starter for the right year. The TC's are different between some of the years. You might have a starter that is for a different year/model.

 

[jusroln]

You might want to check to make sure all the torque converter bolts are tightened. There are 4 or 5 bolts that conncect the torque converter to the flex plate on the motor. If the bolts are loose, the TC might have slid out of position. Also, the flexplate might be warped/bent (unlikely). You can tighten them one at a time. Use one wrench on a bolt to hold the TC still and use another wrench to tighten the other bolt. You will need to turn the crank (clockwise) a 1/4 turn at a time to get to the next bolt.

 

[KING4ADAY]

Do i need shims or something it hooks to the bell houseing not the engine , i had a new starter installed from the 1g turbo from autozone, this is a 6 bolt engine in a 2g car andauto tranny, so now i just put in a new starter for 2g fwd turbo. its like its barely grabbing the teeth on the flywheel/ring gear. sounds awful and not enough grip to start my engine. need more info from you all .

 

[KING4ADAY]

Do i need shims or something it hooks to the bell houseing not the engine , i had a new starter installed from the 1g turbo from autozone, this is a 6 bolt engine in a 2g car andauto tranny, so now i just put in a new starter for 2g fwd turbo. its like its barely grabbing the teeth on the flywheel/ring gear. sounds awful and not enough grip to start my engine. need more info from you all .

 

[KING4ADAY]

i removed this new starter #3 which was for a 2g and same issue. as for the 1g starters but it did have a flattened lip as you can see in the picture rather than a complete circular lip so i thought yea finally it should drop down on the flywheel/ring gear same thing its barely grabbing the flywheel. check pics out please and tell me what you think. if any of you have your engine out can you look at yours to compare against mine see if anything looks out of place . also im wondering if this is the right bolt to hold it in place it looks like the inside diameter of the housing that the bolt slides into is a good size larger than the bolt but fits in the starters threads good. so i was thinking maybe being that the holes for the bolts are larger maybe its moving enough that it skips and pushes the starter away from the gear???? just a thought need some of yours please

 

[ctcare89]

I would check the bolt. If it's supposed to be wider and tapers down to a smaller thread size, then putting a thinner bolt in would give the starter room to wiggle.
Everything else looks normal to me, since my tranny is out too, but I'm not sure what the bolts are supposed to be so I would check them

 

[KING4ADAY]

yea that is what i was wondering becuase on the initial install it will almost sound right and then it gets worse and worse , so i am thinking this is the culprit the bolts i believe are incorrect for mounting this starter. i will let you know tomorrow i will go get some bolts that will fit more snug in the hole of the housing and taper to the size threads of the starter. fingers crossed Xd

 

[KING4ADAY]

purchased couple different bolts today having the shaft more tapered out and threads to match the starter, put a nut on the other side of the bolt to get it extra tight to prevent movement. i turn the key over and still does the same thing. im thinking of removing the starter and spray painting the gear on the starter and the flywheel to see where they meshing. i dont know what else to do ?? thinking i need to go to get exact oem bolts for the starter from the dealership. as well as i will be replacing all (4)torque converter bolts tomorrow being that one was missing and checking another one for size match found threads were a little mushroomed. .

 

[KING4ADAY]

ok torque converter bolts installed, had mechanics assistance in trying to get the starter installed correctly, used original bolts again still same thing. he will be taking over from here out being that i have done everything i can think of. the starters gear teeth are not down far enough against the flywheel, barely grabbing the teeth. and an update found out this engine is not a 6bolt it is 7bolt and same tranny, person i bought it from told me it was 6bolt. i will keep you posted how we finally end up fixing this issue.

 

[KING4ADAY]

hi all i really need your assistance before i have to have the tranny dropped. i bought new factory bolts the starter is the correct starter for my auto transmission it has a lip on the starter that would secure it in position when mounted to the bell housing. i was wondering if maybe the flexplate is warped? the teeth looked good as you can see in the pictures above. ive just never had this happened before and i really want to get it fixed so i can drive it. i sprayed the flexplate and the starter gear and reinstalled it appears that the starter gear is just not coming down far enough on the flexplate teeth just barely catching the tips of the teeth. is there a way i can rig it to work? by getting the starter down more or maybe a new flexplate ... let me know what you think i need more input thanks