[SittingDuck245]

ya'll were right, it was not engaging the flywheel, it looks like the starter is only coming out partway and grabbing only the edge of the flywheel. The flywheel is ground down. Is there not enough voltage to push the starter out all the way, would it need a shim? How would you fix it? If it was the flywheel, how much and how hard would it be to fix/replace it?

-Thanks-

[BlueStreak03]

Nope, the starter motor is not throwing starting gear out far enough to fully engage the flywheel. This happens with time. The flywheel and starter both will have to be replaced to fix it. While you're under the car, check out the bellhousing on the tranny for signs of cracks and anything that will cause a misalignment in that are, this can also cause the problem.

[5.0 in a 66]

I agree. Be careful tho, ALL parts stores have manual and auto starters listed @ss-backwards and 15 different ways from sunday.

[68 Coop]

Originally Posted by SittingDuck245

ya'll were right, it was not engaging the flywheel, it looks like the starter is only coming out partway and grabbing only the edge of the flywheel. The flywheel is ground down. Is there not enough voltage to push the starter out all the way, would it need a shim? How would you fix it? If it was the flywheel, how much and how hard would it be to fix/replace it?

-Thanks-

Sounds like it needs more shims to fully engage with the flex plate/fly wheel. Does the flex plate still have good teeth, and does the starter pinion still have good teeth, enough left to interlock together enough to spin the plate??? If so, shim it up till it fully contacts the wheel, and you should be good to go.

[BlueStreak03]

I would highly doubt that all the teeth on both the flexplate and starter pinion are good after this happens. Trust me, been there, done that. Had to replace 4 starters and 3 flex plates over 4 years because of this exact problem. The tech who rebuilt the tranny didn't put all the bellhousing bolts back in before we drove it away. 6 months later I've got a cracked bellhousing, grinding starter and a slightly bent tail end of a crankshaft.

[GTS 5.7]

I assume you have a Chilton's or Haynes book on the car..if you don't u need 1 cuz on the classics seems something is always happening..I suggest read,read, read.Look at what you've got and visualiuze in your head what should be happening and think what yours is doing and what needs to be done to fix the difference.then have another cold one and think some more...then try to bridge the gap of what is and what should be happening..and p.s.-I have bought parts that were defective right out of the box,parts that just didn't work properly or parts that were for a different model/ engine / tranny cuz the person at the parts counter wrote down a digit in the part # wrong b4 going to the shelf to look for it or just plain found "a starter for a '66 mustang"and said "here you go ".I have taken parts from 1 store that wouldn't work to another store,bought another and compared the 2 and could see a differenc(tooth count,gear length for example),taken the 1st back and installed the 2nd and fired it right up......Long story short,possible they gave you the wrong part