Starter grinding

[DirtyRice Joe]

My starter is grinding intermittently, when I first turn the key to start the engine. If I quickly turn the key "OFF", pause and try again, it's fine. The grinding sound was so slight at first (over a month ago), that I wasn't sure I was even hearing it. Now I can definitely hear it when it happens (maybe 1 out of every 10 starts). Yesterday, it happened for the longest time yet. I've searched the threads and my symptoms are different than any I found. I doesn't seem to be keeping engaged, as in the contact problem. Nor is it hard starting at any time (warm, cold). Is it starter replacement time, or there a "fix" for my current starter?

Thanks!

 

[GXO]

I would yank that starter ASAP. If you trash the starter gear, no biggie, replace it. If you trash the inner, you will cry for a while.

 

[DTAYLOR]

I would yank that starter ASAP. If you trash the starter gear, no biggie, replace it. If you trash the inner, you will cry for a while.

I concur. Rebuilding the starter is 30 minutes on the bench once you have it off the vehicle and have the parts. I just did mine and it was pretty simple.

 

[DirtyRice Joe]

I concur. Rebuilding the starter is 30 minutes on the bench once you have it off the vehicle and have the parts. I just did mine and it was pretty simple.

Can I just replace the starter gear? Is that what you meant by ":re-building" the starter? Are any special tools required? Can I get the parts to rebuild from CDAN, or must/should I order a whole new starter? Sorry for the "newbie-type" questions, and thanks for all the help!

 

[GXO]

hmm, CDan can chime in on the availability of the gear, but the whole starter isn't too bad either.

Here is the other way of looking at it...a starter is $x, if you don't stop using it and replace it...there are MUCH worse things that can happen inside the motor.

 

[DirtyRice Joe]

hmm, CDan can chime in on the availability of the gear, but the whole starter isn't too bad either.

Here is the other way of looking at it...a starter is $x, if you don't stop using it and replace it...there are MUCH worse things that can happen inside the motor.

Thanks for the advice, Dan. I'm going to pull the starter and check the ring gear for damage. Hopefully it's okay. Does anyone have any info on just changing tne gear on the starter?