Starter Help

[Phillyfanfrombirth]

Any chance that you bent the plate between the engine and transmission when you were replacing the starter? The "pinging" you're hearing could be a torque converter stud/nut hitting the bent plate...

[rwhite65]

Since the starter is the only thing you have messed with, makes one have to suspect it....but
What you are describing sounds like maybe your timing is a little too far advanced. Have you switched up with some junk gas lately? Touched the timing?

Have you looked up front near the fan to make sure nothing is too close to it, allowing it to hit when the engine torques?
Ryan

[Elvis]

Well, the only thing that comes to mind is the fan shroud. I had a quick look at it after reading your input and it is quite close to the fan in one area. I'll try to increase the clearance tomorrow and see what happens. I suppose that it is possible that when the engine torques a bit it is enough for the fan to clip the shroud. I don't think that I bent anything else when I installed the starter. It is somewhat difficult to isolate the source of the "pinging" while sitting in the car and travelling down the highway but it does seem to originate in the area of the starter - or perhaps my imagination is running amok. We shall see. E.

[Rev]

Originally Posted by Phillyfanfrombirth

Any chance that you bent the plate between the engine and transmission when you were replacing the starter? The "pinging" you're hearing could be a torque converter stud/nut hitting the bent plate...

It's painful for me to describe this, but I once did bend a flex plate by not alligning the drain plug on the torque convertor with the hole in the flex plate. What that meant was when I torqued down the studs holding the torque convertor to the flex plate it bent the flex plate big time. The car actually would start and run at low to normal rpms. When I ran it flat out at WOT the flex plate engaged the starter motor and fragged the teeth on the starter and flex plate. The way I determined that was to remove the inspection plate at the bottom of the bell housing and crank the engine. It was obvious that the flex plate had at least .5" of run out. Not what I wanted to see. I had to remove the tranny, get and install a new flex plate and convince AutoZone to give me a new starter. After all that was installed correctly with the drain cock lined up with the hole in the flex plate, all functioned well.

I just hope none of this little saga applies to you.

Rev

[Elvis]

I feel your pain Rev. I don't think that could have happened here because I merely pulled the big starter out and installed the mini starter. I don't believe I touched anything else - other than those damn headers! Anyway, I only had a few minutes today - my job jar from "She who must be obeyed" was full - but I did move the shroud a bit. Haven't had a chance to try it yet but tomorrow on the way to work I'll find out if there is any change. I'll let you know. E.