hey everyone im new here, I have a 98 2.5 ranger that im having starter trouble with. the starter spins freely without engaging the flywheel. I tried turning the motor over manually but still no go. Also i took the starter of and the flwheel teeth all looked fine as well as the bendix gear, and had my wife turn he key with the starter off and the bendix gear moves up as it should.

I should say i took the head off to do a had gasket change and before it didnt have any problems cranking, but i dont think that has anything to do with it.

Thanks for any help in advance. -brandon

 

Sounds like a bad bendix. It can still kick out and be bad. It has a one way clutch on it that allows it to turn only one direction. When that little clutch wears out, it allows the bendix to spin both directions, so even though it is actually engaging the flywheel, the clutch is spinning inside the bendix gear rather than driving the bendix gear. I would put a bendix on it. That's the cheapest thing to throw at it and that sounds like what it is.

 

Well i just put a used starter on from the junkyard so its not that.



help

 

Absolutely because we all know every part you buy from a junkyard is just as good as brand new and has absolutely no chance of having the same problem as what you replaced. I'll pput it this way, if you can turn the bendix both ways by hand, it's bad. I don't give a rat's butt where the starter came from or how new it is. One more thing to check. Take a large flat screwdrive or prybar with the starter removed and see if you can pry the ring gear around independently of the flywheel. I've seen ring gears break or stretch and they become loose on the flywheel. It's one or the other if all of the teeth are good. Of course, there's always a chance that the crankshaft flange is broken off the crank.

 

well both starters spin one way by hand. It could be another bad one, but i find it odd to be the same specific non-engagement problem. ill go check the ring gear on the flywheel.