Starter issues 1988 dodge b150

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I jumped the starter because I was getting rapid clicking at relays (tried multiple battery’s to make sure lack of power wasn’t the issue). Just spinning fan sounds no grinding. Pulled the starter. Bench tested it and everything thing was fine, spun popped out.

checked the fly wheel teeth were in good condition and starter teeth. Turned the fan hoping to move the fly wheel a bit just in case. Put it back in, same issue when jumping( just spinning).

At this point I’m stumped. Any suggestions would be great.

thanks

2

The one way clutch in the starter drive may have failed. The next time you take out the starter, try to rotate the drive gear in both directions by hand, you shouldn’t be able to turn it backwards.

1 Like
3

The solonoid copper contacts are burnt or worned. You can rebuilt it with a $10 kit on e-bay.

4

I geuss I forgot to also mention the starter was just rebuilt by a local reputable shop.

I’ll check the one way clutch you mentioned.

Otherwise I just want to make sure that it’s not something I’m doing wrong or the viechle before I go asking questions about a starter they rebuilt not working.

5

True, but I’ve had a starter behave like the one-way clutch failed while on the engine, found I could not turn it backwards by hand (on the bench), and yet a new starter fixed everything.

6

Hey. Thanks for the info guys. Pulled it out and I can easily spin it backwards. Thanks again, looked everywhere for info and nobody had answers.

7

Bad news. Got the starter drive rebuilt. Put it in the van,same issue. Pulled it out again… Bench tested. Spins, pops out. I can turn the drive backwards not with my fingers anymore but with a screw driver and not a lot of pressure. Did they screw up or should I be able to turn it back with some effort.

8

Bought a new starter to compare. Can push both back with similar force. Put the new one in, same fan sound when jumping the starter.

At this point I imagine it’s not a starter issue. Fly wheel teeth seem to be in good shape. Going to try a more aggressive turn of the motor next.

Any ideas, can the fly wheel get out of place somehow. Is there anything else that could cause them not to engage or spin freely?

9

The torque converter flex plate may have broke, can you turn the torque converter and ring gear by hand?

10

Its not suppose to turn backward if the starter is good…only forward. You might try a different company in case all of them came from a bad batch.

11

If the truck has an automatic transmission, it doesn’t have a flywheel, but instead the starter teeth are on the torque converter.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=9488860&cc=1070907&jsn=544&jsn=544

And then there’s a flex-plate between the torque converter and the crankshaft.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=65786&cc=1070907&jsn=534&jsn=534

That’s where i’d be looking.

And I forgot, there’s also the ring gear that’s attached to the torque converter

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=65885&cc=1070907&jsn=539&jsn=539

Tester

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12

It’s is a automatic, I tried turning the torque converter at what I believe would be the ring gear ( through the hole where the starter came out of). I was able to turn it in both directions with a screw driver prying off the outer housing. Seemed a little easier one way to turn but not drastic.

Any other signs before I start ripping it apart

13

Do the front crankshaft pulleys turn the same amount as the torque converter?

14

Push on the ring gear with a wood dowel. Not in the direction to spin the ring gear, but in the axial direction, directly towards the flex-plate (flywheel). It shouldn’t move axially much if at all. Next accurately measure the distance the starter gear pops out beyond the case’s mounting surface when you power it up on the bench. Now measure the distance from the starter mounting surface on the block to the ring gear. They should be nearly the same if you measure from the mounting surface to the center of the respective gear teeth.

I recently experienced an aftermarket starter motor with the same symptom. In that case I could hear it spinning, but the gear wasn’t popping out, Something inside the starter motor had broken internally.