I know it is not a Ranger but I wanted to ask your guys' opinion. My dad has a 2000 F-150. The starter grinds every once and a while which now seems to be getting worse. To fix it when it grinds you have to put it in neutral, roll it forward, and then put it back into gear when you are rolling. Then hopefully it will start. We have already replaced the starter on it and it did not help. Anyone else ever have this problem or no someone that has? Could it be the flywheel?

 

You may have some teeth missing on the flexplate/flywheel causing the starter gear to skip some teeth on the flexplate and grind. With the fact that you replaced the starter and that did not fix the problem I would look at the flexplate/flywheel.

 

^^That's what i'm thinking.


Could also be misalignment with the flywheel and the starter. Or loose starter mounting bolts.

I'd say have some one with a ratchet on the crank pulley/balancer rotating the crank and have another person looking at the flywheel to see if it is in fact the flywheel.

 

sounds like the flywheel to me, probably just missing a couple teeth.