Starter problems or flywheel?

[eb89]

So my 90 2.9 ranger is having some starting troubles and I'm beginning to wonder if its the flywheel, but i want to make sure I have crossed everything easier and cheaper off before i go there. My starter went bad along with my module about a month ago so i put a rebuilt starter and new module in. everything worked well for a few days to a week, but as it got colder it started starting slower and not always on the first try. Then my solenoid got stuck closed leaving my starter running even after taking the keys out. so I disconnected the battery as quick as i could and replaced the fender mounted solenoid. but the starter troubles are still there(starter will whine and/or grind the first and sometimes second key turns before finally engaging properly). i was wondering if maybe the starter got damaged when the solenoid got stuck so I'm going to test that next, but if not that then what? I was beginning to wondering if maybe my flywheel is damaged and will therefore continue to eat up starters, and if so is there any easy way to check this?

 

[dgndngrngr]

i think its the starter again and i think like you said when the solenoid got stuck it ground down the starter teeth. im sure there is a way to check it but I do not know how. im sure someone else on here knows. i know if your flywheels missing teeth you will just get a spinning starter if the flywheel ends up on a broken tooth where the starter engages. i went through 3 starters in one winter on an 89 taurus. keep us posted

 

[eb89]

ok thanks, yeah i'm going to check my starter again when i get around to it and i was kind of assuming it was the starter, thats why i'm in the process of rebuilding the old one(which i'm thinking might be the original starter cuz it is dirty as hell and the insulation is coming off the coils which aint good). i figured it can never hurt to have an extra starter though

 

[CknDnr]

Starter Gear

I had a similair problem in my '86 4x4 STX. went thru 4 AZ starters and 2 flywheel ring gears in less than a year. Tried shimming the starter, bending the plate between the motor and tranny, extra ground strap, and finally cured the problem by replacing the stock 9 tooth starter gear with a 10 tooth one from a '85 to '90 1.9L Ford Escort. The Escort gear is 26.5mm OD and the stock Ranger gear is 25mm OD. Other than that it is exactly the same, the extra 1.5mm makes a more positive engagment with the flywheel and cures the "starter screech" problem.http://www.waiglobal.com/products/partimage.cfm?wai_num=3-353B

 

[eb89]

so all i gotta do is take off the 9 tooth gear and put a 10 on? it doesnt effect anything else? cuz wouldn't the flywheels be made for the spacing of a 9 tooth. i'll definately look into that. thanks

 

[CknDnr]

You have to disassemble the starter(just take the gear end off) Once the outer housing is off there is a "C" clip and 2 washers on the shaft and the drive gear just twists off. There is just a loose fit pin in the lever that pushes the drive gear forward. Make sure to position the spring in the outer housing when you put it together. The 10 tooth gear meshes perfect with the standard 138 tooth ring gear.


Note: This fix is for Direct Drive starter with a remote(fender mounted) solinoid . I'm not sure of the year that Ford went to a gear driven solinoid enclosed starter. This is for a 1986 2.9L, Mitsubishi FM146 (or FM145)tranny, 4x4. It may also work for an automatic.

 

[eb89]

I had a similair problem in my '86 4x4 STX. went thru 4 AZ starters and 2 flywheel ring gears in less than a year. Tried shimming the starter, bending the plate between the motor and tranny, extra ground strap, and finally cured the problem by replacing the stock 9 tooth starter gear with a 10 tooth one from a '85 to '90 1.9L Ford Escort. The Escort gear is 26.5mm OD and the stock Ranger gear is 25mm OD. Other than that it is exactly the same, the extra 1.5mm makes a more positive engagment with the flywheel and cures the "starter screech" problem.http://www.waiglobal.com/products/partimage.cfm?wai_num=3-353B

Does anyone know if this will work for a 90 2.9L 2wd manual ranger?

 

[CknDnr]

Well, according to this page http://www.waiglobal.com/products/sresultv.cfm both an '86 and a '90 2.9 take the same E3TZ-11002-E starter

According to AZ both the 86' and '90 2.9 MT use the same 138 tooth ring gear flywheelhttp://www.autozone.com/N,11200131/shopping/partTypeResultSet.htm

From The Ranger Station Tech Library
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/ManualTransmission.html it shows that a '90 2WD should have a FM132 tranny and is the same dimension as both the FM145 and the FM146

Given this information I would think it should work well for your application IF you are having a problem with a starter/ring gear that is not engaging or is grinding teeth off of either one. NAPA lists the starter drive for around $26 but it is special order, I got mine from the local Pic-a-part junkyard for less than $5 and took less than 5 min to install once the starter was out. After pulling my tranny two times for a new ring gear, and AZ having to warrenty 4 starters in less than a year I looked "out of the box" for anything I could do to fix the problem.

I can't say for 100% sure that it will fix your truck without actually looking at the wear pattern on the ring gear(mine showed mushrooming all the way around the outside diameter of the ring gear teeth, with no wear from the side that engages the starter) but it is one and only thing that has permenently fixed the re-occuring problem.

 

[sergeh]

I put in a 10 tooth starter gear in my starter today. Just went to car quest and asked for starter gear for 1990 1.9l escort; they had it in stock.
Both starter holes were pretty well stripped so I drilled the bell housing 5/16 for the top and the bottom just larger then 3/8 and put a metric bolt and nut in the same size as original starter bolt.
Turned the key and it sounded great
hope it holds tho :/

serge