Starter not engaging flywheel

[Xit40]

So I am at my wit's end here. I had a problem previously with my starter going bad. It chewed up my aluminum AWD flywheel pretty good when the bushing in the end of the starter failed. Long story short I bought a new flywheel, clutch kit (it was worn out), and replaced everything.

So today I go out button everything up. New AWD 6 bolt flywheel, new clutch pressure plate and clutch disc. Got a different working starter that I tested before installing, and the starter just spins. It doesn't attempt to turn the motor over at all.

So I pulled the starter back out for what feels like the 500th time, reattached all the electrical connections to the starter, hooked up jumper cables from the battery to the battery terminals, and had someone turn the key over for me. The starter spins freely and bendix engages (pops out) just as it should.

I have a AWD so it's not the normal wrong flywheel issue or the transmission wouldn't fit over the flywheel. The car runs just fine when you pop start it. That is how I got it home when the original starter failed in the first place.

So what the heck is going on here? I am at a loss. I would appreciate any help or thoughts.

Willing to accept any theories. I am gonna try to get out to my garage today to pull a known good starter out of my 1G AWD and see if that helps. Maybe there is some unknown issue with the one I put in like the teeth being worn down. It was a reman from somewhere who knows what issues it could have. I remember it being good, but i could be wrong. Other than that I dunno.

 

[Fayt]

Do you have an AWD starter plate installed between the engine and tranny? It lines the starter in the correct position. EXTREME PSI : Your #1 Source for In Stock Performance Parts

I had the same issue years ago, the shop that did my swap never put the plate in; only washers. It got to the point where every 3-5 starts the torque would rotate the starter just enough to not engage anymore. After probably a dozen reinstalls, I finally just bought one and replaced it when I did a headgasket. Never had an issue since.

 

[highpsigsx]

Make sure u have the starter plate and dowel pins I had the same problem on my gsx.the guy I bought the car from didn't put them in there the plate was like 22$ and dowel pins like 4$ not expensive I didn have to drop the trans

 

[Xit40]

Starter plate, dowel pins, all bolts installed, and torqued correctly. Transmission is tight to the bell housing all the way around. Everything is as it was before I took the transmission out.

 

[Xit40]

So no one else? I figured I would get those responses, but are there any other reasons that I am missing?

 

[highpsigsx]

Theres nothing else I could think of sorry.

 

[Xit40]

Yeah I am running into the same problem. Figured I would throw it up here and hope for someone much wiser than I to point something weird out or something

 

[craig4g63]

Yeah I am running into the same problem. Figured I would throw it up here and hope for someone much wiser than I to point something weird out or something

Bench test the starter to make sure there is full travel when the solenoid is activated.

 

[1G Eclipse94928]

So the car has absolutely NO other problems?

 

[YUPOK]

Come on guys we've been through this a hundred times. You have an automatic starter!!! DSM's only used two starters for our cars. 1G 2G AWD FWD only difference was auto and standard starters.

Here's what is happening. For whatever reason the 5 speed starters are becoming harder to find. I actually bought a reman 5 speed starter from Pep boys only to find out it was for an automatic. It makes sense, the automatic starter will not throw out the plunger gear into the bell housing very far because the flex plate is right there. The 5 speed trans needs about a quarter inch more throw, so the starter housings and position of the plunger gear are about a quarter inch different allowing your automatic starter you have now just spin in the air and never catch the flywheel.

The easiest way I can describe a true 5 speed starter from an auto starter is that the backplate behind the plunger gear (at rest not while your bench testing it) when you are looking at the starter, should be flush with grey colored aluminum (pot metal) housing on the starter. If that backlate is recessed at all, it's an automatic. Go to the car parts store and ask to see an auto and 5 speed starters for whatever your application DSM and look at the difference.

Unless of course the remanufacturer just stuffed the more common auto starter in the box and called it a day.

 

[familyMAN]

I would guess auto starter as well. Take a picture of the starter showing the inside and post it up.

Here's an example of manual vs auto starter......

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[DSM1G90]

Also, make sure that you're getting a reduction gear starter since the 4G63's needs these starters.

It has a long housing where the middle section is the reduction gearset.
The front half is the bendix assembly and the rear contains the drive motor with the four brushes mounted in the rear end cover.

Direct drives were for the 4G37 5speed and have a shorter, two piece housing.

-DSM