This is topic How do I know if its the starter or flywheel? in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by SH0WTIME (Member # 2996) on :
 
My car is making that earyy sound when i try to sart it like the starter is not engaging with the flywheel. Should I replace both or just start with the starter. Anybody know about how much starters run for a 89,5.0 ohhh by the way im a newbie to this site. Sweet site..
 

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Posted by Sean90GT (Member # 33) on :
 
What do you mean an eerie sound? Is it grinding? Is it clicking? Is it just spinning (whining)? Or is it like an electrical shock kind of sound?

If it's the flywheel you should be able to turn the motor over by hand with a wrench on the crank pully bolt. That will get past the broken teeth and allow the starter to engage.

If it's the starter quite often you can smack it with a hammer a couple of times and that will free it up to get it to turn over. That will pretty much tell you it's time for a new starter.

Sean.
 

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Posted by SH0WTIME (Member # 2996) on :
 
Yeah it just sounds like its spinning and its real loud Im trying to explain the sound if you turn the key while your car is running and you hear that loud sqeal sound thats what it sounds like. It only does is once in ahwile but today it did like 10 times ina row the freaking car would not start. I hope thats a better explanation of what it sounds like .
 

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Posted by shade-tree (Member # 298) on :
 
I would assume without seeing it that it's the flywheel.
 

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Posted by Chosen1 (Member # 1906) on :
 
Just because shadetree said its the flywheel, Im gonna say its the starter -and thats without having seen it either.
 

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Posted by Sean90GT (Member # 33) on :
 
From the sounds of it I would say flywheel. If it just does it once in a while and it sounds like its grinding then perhaps it finds the missing teeth now and then and won't engage. You could pull the starter (going to have to do that anyway) and look or feel in there while somebody turns the engine over slowly with a breaker bar on the crank bolt. ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHEN WORKING WITH THE STARTER!

Sean.
 

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Posted by SH0WTIME (Member # 2996) on :
 
Well the starter is doing it all the time now. So I will try the starter first and go from there. Thanks for all your great replys. Hopefully its not the flywheel I dont feel like doin all that work this weekend Thanks guys.

Joey
 

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Posted by DropTopFox (Member # 1689) on :
 

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Just because shadetree said its the flywheel, Im gonna say its the starter -and thats without having seen it either.

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Jay, the way he described it to me the other night it sounded exactly like what happened to me out front of your house. Sounded like his starter solenoid was still engaged. I'm pretty sure we're right
 

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