Starter Motor

I bought a new starter last September for around $ 140.00. (Bumper to Bumper part # GNC 16868) It worked fine until yesterday. The starter drive doesn't seem to be kicking out far enough and It creates a grinding sound without turning the flywheel. The starter motor itself seems to be spinning just fine. The one in there now appears to be the gear reduction starter. My first thought is to replace just the solenoid. I'm seeing two different parts available. Does anyone know the correct part I should be looking for?

Thanks,

VV

I don't know if anyone has put together enough information to determine when Buick used the gear reduction starter. I think the discussion has been had... that either will work.

I would pull the starter and examine both the starter gear teeth and the flywheel teeth. You could also take some measurements to see if the starter and your car are made for each other. It is possible that when new the new gear on the starter were engaging enough to work, but over time there has been enough wear to cause the problem you are having. There is also the possibility that some foreign material is not allowing the starter gear to reach its full travel.

I have the small motor reduction starter on my '88. The solenoid could be the problem but it could be the starter drive (Bendix) has failed. I've not been able to find a replacement starter drive for the reductions starters. The solenoids are available but they are expensive for the reduction starters. Denso rebuilt reduction starters are in the Reatta Store for ~$89.00.

It was a bad front housing. The bushing/bearing failed and the starter drive would not stay centered. As it spun, it pushed itself away from the flywheel. Lifetime warranty at Bumper to Bumper. Should be back on the road tonight.

Thanks for letting us know what you found. As a long time Corvair owner, they would sometimes have the same problem, only happened on manual shift cars. The flywheel was 3 pieces riveted together, with time and abuse, the rivets could loosen and once loose got worse, The starter ring gear was mounted on the flywheel and as the rivets wore the flywheel (ring gear) would be wobble, at some point the wobble was enough to put pressure on the starter gear and break the snout. If it breaks again, I would check the runout on the ring gear..... you might want to do that when you are under the car to install the replacement starter.

Barney, the ring gear is on the PRESSURE plate, not the flywheel (corvair). Additional useless info; the ring gear is spot welded to the pressure plate (or torque converter) and these spotwelds would crack, making the ring gear wobble during starting, cracking the starter nose.

However your description of loose flywheel rivets is spot on.