I have a 394 in a 1961 Olds Super 88. Factory engine to the best of my knowledge, with the Slim Jim behind it. I have owned this car for 3 weeks so I have no idea what it was doing before. The car started doing this thing where it would be hard to start, and crank a lot to try to fire. Then it fired one time with the starter drive still in the flex plate . Shut it down immediately, but from there it just stopped cranking, and would just "click" when you'd turn the key to start. I get a new mini starter for it, which fits perfectly. Install and wire it up. Car cranks, fires, and again has the starter drive engaged in the running flex plate, and now does the same "click" when you try to start it. All other electric works. I pull the inspection cover, and it appears that 1/8" of the teeth on the flex plate are ground off. I look up and see that the starter gear is still partially engaged in the flex plate teeth and is in too deep. When I bench tested the new starter, the drive is popping out but the gear will not spin. I would think that the issue lies with the new starter, but the original starter had the same issue. WTF is going on with the starter and flex plate? Help before I yank this thing out and put a small block in haha.
Looks like you need a new ring gear. I bet the bendix is getting stuck in the mangled ring gear teeth.
I can see your thought there. Not saying I disagree. However, what's the explanation for the flex plate ring gear interfering with the starter drive even when the starter drive is retracted? That's the part that is screwing me up. If I get a new flex plate with good teeth, and put another new starter in, and they land in the same place, I've got the same problem all over again. I'm not versed in Olds engines well enough to know if there are different starters with different drive depths? Do I need to use a starter shim? I have no idea. The factory style starter had this issue. So I took it out and replaced it with a mini starter, that now has the same issue.
I can't tell for sure by looking at the starter pinion gear...but it sure looks like the pinion gear is not going in deep enough. (I don't see shiny normal contact wear on the full width of the pinion gear teeth) First thing I would do with starter removed; -measure through the starter opening, to the front edge of the ring gear from the mounting flange. - is there a way to get the pinion gear to extend all the way? then measure from the flange to the outer edge of the pinion teeth to know if it is going into the ring gear all the way. -Also, then make sure the starter pinion gear is retracted all the way, and measure from the starters mounting flange to the outer edge of the pinion gear. Then determine if the pinion gear is still partly engaged with the ring gear when the pinion gear is retracted.
Hey, Joe, sorry to hear you're having more problems with the Olds. As for the starter, we had some trouble with it, don't remember if it was the Bendix engaging, or not. I don't think so, just think it wouldn't engage at all. Had it checked, rebuilt at Rudy's Armature in Rahway. VERY good reputation! Maybe they put the wrong Bendix in? or installed it incorrectly, so it didn't fully extend? I know it doesn't help you now, but I would keep the old starter, maybe bring it back to have them double check it. Use it as a back-up.
A drive gear never should have ‘full’ engagement...3/4 is max. If the drive hits the bad spots on the ring gear it would be forced to crawl over them bending the armature or in the case of the mini starter the bendix itself and that is why it can’t retract... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
yes I know it does not go totally into the ring gear, but I was looking closely for any shiny spots on the drive gear, and it looks like the gear is barely getting into the ring gear teeth. That is why I suggested doing measurements off the starter and off the starter mounting surface on the engine.
I think the ring-gear is so bad that the starter never had a chance to form a good pattern...it just bent the drive and was done... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I ran into this problem years ago, with the 303 that I put into a 50 Ford. If I remember right I got a starter from a 56 and had a similar problem.
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