[RESOLVED] FWD VS. AWD Starter - My Starter Spins Freely

[TermTrky]

Hey guys,

Let's start with the history. It's a 91 Eclipse GSX.

1 week ago, bought the car. Had a leaking transmission (Bad leak!)
When he started it, the starter would grind terribly but eventually catch every 4th attempt or so.

I just replaced the automatic transmission. The flex plate looked just fine. I tried 2 starters. They both extend. I cleaned up all electrical connections. I got it to start once after replacing the starter, it would grind but catch.

Now, with either starter, the starter gear just spins freely.

Can I shim the starter? Remove the starter plate?

My transmission is straight, everything's bolted correctly.

Maybe I have two bad starters that won't turn under load.

I'm not sure if maybe I have two FWD starters, and the AWD is different. Dunno.

Any help?

 

[Bluesideup]

The awd flywheel is smaller to clear the transfer case. Sounds like you have two fwd starters. Do you have the part numbers from your starters? Type it I to google to see what you have.

 

[TermTrky]

Schucks has the same part number for FWD & AWD. Ahhh this freaking car!

 

[IROCavenger]

Hey guys,

Let's start with the history. It's a 91 Eclipse GSX.

1 week ago, bought the car. Had a leaking transmission (Bad leak!)
When he started it, the starter would grind terribly but eventually catch every 4th attempt or so.

I just replaced the automatic transmission. The flex plate looked just fine. I tried 2 starters. They both extend. I cleaned up all electrical connections. I got it to start once after replacing the starter, it would grind but catch.

Now, with either starter, the starter gear just spins freely.

Can I shim the starter? Remove the starter plate?

My transmission is straight, everything's bolted correctly.

Maybe I have two bad starters that won't turn under load.

I'm not sure if maybe I have two FWD starters, and the AWD is different. Dunno.

Any help?

Not sure if it is the same on a 1G but on 2G AWD's the manual starter is different from Auto starter.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

90-94 FWD N/T 5 spd. starter = MD172860
91-94 FWD N/T AT starter = MD172861
91-94 FWD Turbo AT starter = MD172860
91-94 AWD Turbo 5spd = MD172860
91-94 AWD AT = MD172860

The only one that's different is the N/T AT starter.

I would make sure that the transmission mounting bolts and starter bolts are tight. If they are loose it would be pulling the starter away from the flywheel.

 

[sicktsi]

I thought the fwd and awd starters were different on the 1g? I have a friend that is having the same problem on his 93 tsi awd.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

I thought the fwd and awd starters were different on the 1g? I have a friend that is having the same problem on his 93 tsi awd.

The flywheels are different. AWD flywheel is smaller in diameter than the FWD. Starter shim plate is different also.

2g starters work on 1g's also. I've got one on my car right now.

 

[TermTrky]

Alright, I have a plate between the bellhousing & block. It shims the right side of the starter about 1/16" and doesn't shim the left side.

Today, I'm shimming that starter myself, putting ink all over the flexplate & starter drive gear, and I'm going to monitor the results. The ink will tell me what's going on - and if I see nothing I can assume the gear is over-extending, past the teeth.

I've seen this problem all over the forums, I've searched first. I found no "absolute" answer.

Sometimes it was the wrong flywheel, sometimes the tranny wasn't lined up, sometimes flexplate teeth are gone or the starter was dead. Sometimes it wasn't shimmed correctly.

Some people had to hack-off the starter shim plate to get the grinding to stop.

I'll post results later on this. This is driving me crazy!

I wish I had a hole in the bellhousing so I could see exactly what's going on.

 

[Beemer92]

Well...the starter on a AWD will not fit a FWD and vise versa

 

[Muzda]

^You are wrong. I know first hand the starters are interchangeable. The difference is in the trans plate and the flywheel which has been previously mentioned.

 

[2gGSXEclipse]

You are right^^^^ i got a 1g fwd starter right now on my 2g awd starter, mines from a 1st gen manual FWD and i have a 2nd gen manual AWD the only ones you cant use are the auto in a manual, the resst should be interchangable

 

[TermTrky]

Okay guys. Imagine this:

Except the donkey, is actually your starter.

And instead of a stick, it's a dremel.

Literally.

I measured the flexplate distance from the front of the bellhousing. About 1" of air between the front of the case & the flexplate.

The starter wasn't even extending far enough to touch the flexplate. Its reach was about 0.75".

I dremeled about 0.5" from the starter mounts (The two holes which the bolts go through).

This way, it sits in the transmission case about 0.5" further.

It starts now!!


When I have cash, I'll buy a new starter for this car. I wonder if it will work?

Do the manual transmission starters not extend up to 1.5"?

This has been a ghetto repair done by yours truly.