Starter Fiasco!!!

[KyngofPop]

Wazzup allz,

I decided to TRY and remove my starter yesterday on my SHO and encountered many many hurdles. It took me about 3hrs to remove this effing thing, and I have NO CLUE how I am going to get it back in. After I finally got the starter out and took it to the rebuilder this morning, he told me that he could put a 10 tooth drive on the starter for better and easier starting since mine was obviously worn out, but that the starter originally had a 9 tooth drive on it?!?!? I thought the SHO starters from 89-91 had 10 teeth. As I argued him down for about 5 mins, he proceded to count the teeth on the starter and sure enough it had 9 teeth on it? Had me eatin crow and pretty much embarressed

This is to my knowledge the original starter because it still had the Motorcraft stickers on it, so what gives?

ps. I'll be posting back here in a few days when I am beating my SHO up with a lug wrench because I wasn't able to get the starter back in

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FreddyB
1988 Merkur Scorpio
1996 WS6 Trans Am 6-speed, Purple Passion Mystique(Lots-o-mods)
1991 Taurus SHO Plus Deep Jewel Green
1988 Olds Touring Sedan 3.8 w/FE3

 

[fredhurderjr]

Someone could have put the wrong gear on there in the past? Just a thought. I never counted the teeth on the gear when I changed my 91's a couple of weeks ago.

It was a bummer to get it out, but going in was easier for me.

 

[KyngofPop]

Originally posted by fredhurderjr:
Someone could have put the wrong gear on there in the past? Just a thought. I never counted the teeth on the gear when I changed my 91's a couple of weeks ago.

It was a bummer to get it out, but going in was easier for me.

Fred I was thinking that someone had put the wrong gear on the starter originally, but the guy looked the starter up on his computer thingy and it even listed a 9tooth as original equip for the DOHC SHO. I think his computers were wrong and the previous owner had the gear replaced with the 9 tooth thinking that this was right..

BTW, guess what... I GOT IT BACK IN!!!!!!!! The starter is definately easier goin in than coming out. It took me a total of 30 mins to put it back in, including taking a smoke break before I even started

I did notice some slight damage to my flywheel but not enough to worry about just yet. I was so happy to hear the SHO crank up with less that 2 spins of the starter!!!! Thanx for the applause..hehe... now on to the next order of business.

ps. the SHO motor is definately intimidating, but with a little patience is slightly gratifying to work on. I almost jumped out of my skin once I heard it crank

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FreddyB
1996 WS6 Trans Am 6-speed, Purple Passion Mystique(Lots-o-mods)
1991 Taurus SHO Plus Deep Jewel Green

 

[SHO 3.0]

What's the difference between the 9 and 10 tooth starters? Is it something to do with the pre 92 (smaller gear reduction starters), and only affects the big older starters?

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1992 Black on Black, Canadian edition

 

[TimZ]

As I recall, the 10 tooth starter was a running change. It was implemented as a fix for slow cranking problems in cold weather.

In theory, the 10 tooth starter should be better. However, I just went through this a while back, and found that some of the aftermarket rebuilders are USING THE WRONG 10 tooth gear. The correct 10 tooth gear needs to be proportionately larger in diameter than the 9 tooth, so that the teeth mesh properly with the flywheel. The 10 tooth gear that I ended up with was not the correct size (it was only slightly larger than the 9 tooth), and as such it didn't always engage properly with the flywheel, and when it did, it sounded like I dropped a box of nails in the crankcase.

This starter was done by a national rebuilder, as I recall, and I went through a couple of them before we figured it out - every time I'd bring the stupid thing back into the parts store, they would throw it on their test stand and it would work fine. Finally, I mic'ed out the drive gear, and it was not 10/9th's the diameter of the 9 tooth.

I ended up just going back to a 9 tooth starter, since this supplier couldn't/wouldn't supply me with a properly sized 10 tooth. The 9 tooth has worked fine ever since.

So - why am I telling you all of this? If you have similar problems with your new 10 tooth starter, this is most likely why.

 

[KyngofPop]

Thanx for the lookout TimZ. When I looked at the 10 tooth drive the rebuilder put in, the teeth looked much beefier than the previous 9 tooth drive, and the car also cranks faster. If I have any more starter problems I think I'm just gonna get a remanufactured unit with a lifetime warranty--no more worries right??

Ya right...it's a SHO

 

[SHO 3.0]

It's a little bit of wiring, but couldn't you pre 92 guys just get the 92 and up gear reduction starter, it's got the solenoid on it and then just add on to the small wire from the existing solenoid down to the starter? I'm sure (but not positive) that it'll bolt on since engines didn't change in 92, just the starter. They use less power to turn and turn faster, and they're smaller.
Just an idea.

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1992 Black on Black, Canadian edition