Thread: Ring gear or starter?

sounds like its teh starter and ease enough job to do yourself, depending on your exhaust you may not get it out without removing the exhuast pipe but you will get it out far enough that you can bar the engine over to inspect the ring gear though the start hole.

If.

Check the starter solenoid for sticking and dirty contacts

Agree that it's an electrical issue, on the starter side.

I had a similar problem and it was the the little clutch in the starter motor. The starter motor turned but did not drive the engine and clicked a bit.

Garry

and there i was thinking a "clicking" noise when you try to start the engine was usually a sign of a dead or dring battery....

Originally Posted by Sprint

and there i was thinking a "clicking" noise when you try to start the engine was usually a sign of a dead or dring battery....

Clicking noise, no whirr = flat battery, bad connection or solenoid.
Clicking noise, plus whir = starter drive, possibly ring gear
No clicking noise, whir = ring gear, possibly starter drive


John

Thanks for comments. I am confident it is not the battery because I have swapped battery over and the problem persists - also the vehicle eventually starts just have to cycle the ignition on and off until it eventually engages. There is a whirr associated with the clicking - sounds like gears crunching. To me the obvious was probably the ring gear but a person I was speaking with said it could be the starter - they said they had a similar issue - sounds like 50 / 50 - garrycol also seems to have had a similar problem on the starter side. So from what I gatehr I should remove the starter, examing the ring gear to the extent that I can. If ring gear looks fine I should have the starter bench tested? Does this sound right?

Originally Posted by Dundee

Thanks for comments. I am confident it is not the battery because I have swapped battery over and the problem persists - also the vehicle eventually starts just have to cycle the ignition on and off until it eventually engages. There is a whirr associated with the clicking - sounds like gears crunching. To me the obvious was probably the ring gear but a person I was speaking with said it could be the starter - they said they had a similar issue - sounds like 50 / 50 - garrycol also seems to have had a similar problem on the starter side. So from what I gatehr I should remove the starter, examing the ring gear to the extent that I can. If ring gear looks fine I should have the starter bench tested? Does this sound right?

I would say, remove starter, and have it tested, telling the auto electrician what the symptoms are. You may find the problem obvious as soon as you remove the starter - for example a loose starter, or damaged teeth on the pinion. If the starter is OK, or while it is off being checked, have a look at the ring gear through the mounting hole using mirrors and torches as necessary, and turning the engine by hand. (remove plugs/heater plugs so it can turn easily). As a side comment, in sixty years of fixing starter problems, I have yet to see a ring gear with significant damage.

John