flexplate issues
10-20-2014, 07:53 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1994
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.2 L V8
flexplate issues
HELP! My 94 grand cherokee limited v8 5.2L died today. I went to leave and it wouldn't start. On friday my boyfriend put a new starter in (remanufactured the $100 one) I started it and drove it 6 times total from the time it was put in. It made a horrible grinding sound when it first would turn on but then disappear and return to its normal purr. Now it won't turn on at all. It almost sounds like the starter isn't connecting but I can't be sure. Did it really eat through the gears that fast? My dad thinks it could just need a shim, but I don't know what size to even get for that?
10-21-2014, 11:38 AM
#2
Old fart with a wrench
Welcome to CF!
IDK for sure, but you may have gotten the wrong starter. Let me relate something that happened to me with my '67 Chevrolet Camaro. It was a 4-speed manual transmission and when I bought a replacement starter (New, not rebuilt) they gave me one for an automatic. The difference in length is only about 3/8" which I never noticed. It proceeded to chew up the ring gear on my flywheel. I got the right one free, but I had to replace my flywheel at my cost. IDK what a Dodge starter looks like, but shims usually only work on starters that have bolts that are 90* to the axis of the starter drive. They are to adjust the depth of the tooth engagement, not the length the gear moves into the teeth. It's possible you have several teeth missing on the flexplate. Try turning the engine a little by the damper on the front of the engine, then hit the starter. If it turns over then, that's the problem. The engine just happened to stop where the teeth are missing. You can also remove the inspection plate and visually check the teeth.
In my application, there were 4 different starters for the Chevy 350; a standard and heavy duty for the manual, and a standard and a heavy duty for the automatic. At the time, I wasn't aware there were more than 1.
Good luck with yours and please post what you find out. It may help someone else.
IDK for sure, but you may have gotten the wrong starter. Let me relate something that happened to me with my '67 Chevrolet Camaro. It was a 4-speed manual transmission and when I bought a replacement starter (New, not rebuilt) they gave me one for an automatic. The difference in length is only about 3/8" which I never noticed. It proceeded to chew up the ring gear on my flywheel. I got the right one free, but I had to replace my flywheel at my cost. IDK what a Dodge starter looks like, but shims usually only work on starters that have bolts that are 90* to the axis of the starter drive. They are to adjust the depth of the tooth engagement, not the length the gear moves into the teeth. It's possible you have several teeth missing on the flexplate. Try turning the engine a little by the damper on the front of the engine, then hit the starter. If it turns over then, that's the problem. The engine just happened to stop where the teeth are missing. You can also remove the inspection plate and visually check the teeth.
In my application, there were 4 different starters for the Chevy 350; a standard and heavy duty for the manual, and a standard and a heavy duty for the automatic. At the time, I wasn't aware there were more than 1.
Good luck with yours and please post what you find out. It may help someone else.
10-22-2014, 07:05 AM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1994
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.2 L V8
Welcome to CF!
IDK for sure, but you may have gotten the wrong starter. Let me relate something that happened to me with my '67 Chevrolet Camaro. It was a 4-speed manual transmission and when I bought a replacement starter (New, not rebuilt) they gave me one for an automatic. The difference in length is only about 3/8" which I never noticed. It proceeded to chew up the ring gear on my flywheel. I got the right one free, but I had to replace my flywheel at my cost. IDK what a Dodge starter looks like, but shims usually only work on starters that have bolts that are 90* to the axis of the starter drive. They are to adjust the depth of the tooth engagement, not the length the gear moves into the teeth. It's possible you have several teeth missing on the flexplate. Try turning the engine a little by the damper on the front of the engine, then hit the starter. If it turns over then, that's the problem. The engine just happened to stop where the teeth are missing. You can also remove the inspection plate and visually check the teeth.
In my application, there were 4 different starters for the Chevy 350; a standard and heavy duty for the manual, and a standard and a heavy duty for the automatic. At the time, I wasn't aware there were more than 1.
Good luck with yours and please post what you find out. It may help someone else.
IDK for sure, but you may have gotten the wrong starter. Let me relate something that happened to me with my '67 Chevrolet Camaro. It was a 4-speed manual transmission and when I bought a replacement starter (New, not rebuilt) they gave me one for an automatic. The difference in length is only about 3/8" which I never noticed. It proceeded to chew up the ring gear on my flywheel. I got the right one free, but I had to replace my flywheel at my cost. IDK what a Dodge starter looks like, but shims usually only work on starters that have bolts that are 90* to the axis of the starter drive. They are to adjust the depth of the tooth engagement, not the length the gear moves into the teeth. It's possible you have several teeth missing on the flexplate. Try turning the engine a little by the damper on the front of the engine, then hit the starter. If it turns over then, that's the problem. The engine just happened to stop where the teeth are missing. You can also remove the inspection plate and visually check the teeth.
In my application, there were 4 different starters for the Chevy 350; a standard and heavy duty for the manual, and a standard and a heavy duty for the automatic. At the time, I wasn't aware there were more than 1.
Good luck with yours and please post what you find out. It may help someone else.
Thanks for your help!! I ended up taking it to a shop, the starter I had bought had been dropped and it had a mushroom top. This not allowing it to lock into place, we thought it was the wrong one as well but we got it filed down and put in, luckily it didn't damage anything too badly
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Fubar92627
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
12
06-11-2017 12:59 PM
shelby5041
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
39
11-07-2015 01:22 AM
JSlaughter
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
11
11-05-2015 09:07 PM
DBFinney
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
2
09-24-2015 11:31 PM
Dannymac1216
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
13
09-08-2015 06:28 AM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)