With my old starter, while i was driving there was this loud clicking noise that would run with the rpms, i took it to the mechanic and he said it was just a bad starter. So i replaced it, it worked fine at first but now about 2 weeks later its back. The car starts fine, but this mechanic insisted it was a bad starter the last time.

I was just under it and retightened everything, even though before it did sound like it was coming right from the starter im thinking it may be something else but i have no clue what.

 

Could it be an exhaust leak? I don't see why it would be the starter, especially after you got a new one. The only reason I could see the starter making a clicking noise is if the gear is staying engaged with the flywheel all the time. That gear is only supposed to pop out and engage when the key is turned you know?

Turn on your car, get under there and see if the starter gear is exposed and engaged. Get a friend to rev it up a little bit and see what happens.

It really sounds like an exhaust leak to me, especially if it is going with the RPMs. But the fact that it stopped for a little when you put in the new starter makes me wonder.

 

Does the starter sound ok when starting the car or isit making noise when you are starting also? It may need to be shimmed if it is too tight it will bind and stick on the flywheel.

 

Yea it sounds fine, when its starting it doesnt make that noise.

 

My starter shim was in the way and made the same clicking sound. Check for anything loose in the way of the flexplate, there really isn't much it could be.

 

Sorry but im not an expert just yet so what would i have to do if my shim(dont really know what that is exactly) is in the way?

I know when i put it on it didnt look like it was close to the flywheel, if i just loosen the bolts a little to drop it away from that, and start it up to listen, would that be a way for me to tell if thats the case.

 

A shim is a piece of metal that is installed in between the starter block and the engine block. This metal piece positions the starter farther away from the block. You might need to add another shim, or even get one in there in the first place.

 

Don't start it with the bolts loose, sounds like an easy way to chip some teeth. Shims are like $1 a piece.

 

AH! i just went under to shim it, i saw that there was definet evidence that it was hitting the flywheel so i was actually somwhat pleased to see wear on both just because i knew i found my problem.

I shimmed it but now when i turn the keep there is a really bad grinding. It still turns over in the same amount of time than it did when it was starting good.

While driving there was definetly less clicking then before, but the grinding is so bad on start up you could probably hear it like a mile away.

What did i do wrong, i dont know if i spaced it too much or too little. I used 2 washers on the bolt near the flywheel and 1 on the further bolt. I know ive read to use the same on each but i though that would drop it down and lean it away enough to keep it from hitting.

And why is it that when it was clicking more the start up was fine, but now the clicking has gone down the start up grinds?????

One more thing, thank you for your imput i would have never know to check to see if its was hitting the flywheel cuz im kind of machinically stupid like that.

 

Holy **** man, NOOOO! There are specific shims for the starter, that are VERY thin strips of metal. Lose the washers, and I mean NOW, and get a starter shim. You're going to end up chipping your flywheel. Oh, I just realised that this post is from last July, sorry to hear about that flywheel man.

 

dude this thread is 9 months old haha. Yea it ended up being that my flexplate was completely cracked all the way around. My mechanic pulled the tranny it just fell out he didnt even need to unbolt it thats how bad it was.