87 YJ, 4.2L, manual tranny

Sounds like my ring gear has chewed up & missing teeth. Question is why does that happen and should I replace the flywheel & ring gear or just the gear??

Lowrange
Email: [email protected]
87 Wrangler, 4.2L, HEI, BA-10/5 (but not for long), Procomp lift, Procomp 3000's, Superwinch

Happened to me about a year and half ago. I think it was a bad starter which wouldn't engage all the way, chewed up the ring gear. got a new starter, but now the ring gear was damaged so the vicious cycle started. went through about 3 starters in a year-warrantied of course, before the ring gear was so bad that it wouldn't catch at all. You only need to replace the ring gear-can be fone yourself or taken to a machine shop and done for under a hundred buck with the flywheel machined. The only downside is that to get to it you have to remove the transfer case and transmission. I replaced the clutch at the same time since it was out. hope this helps

CJay

You can buy new ring gears from FWDHardware.
Most machine shops can press the new one on.
There was a very good 'starter' thread here recently.
As follows ..........
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Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by TeamRush (veteran) Posted on 8/25/00 03:13 PM From IP 208.143.14.62


An old GM engineer once gave the secret of GM starters...
An 1/8" drill bit between starter and flywheel.
No More, No Less. It's worked for me for over 20 years...

"I Have The Body Of A God... Buddha"

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by Matt1911 (newbie) Posted on 8/25/00 03:24 PM From IP 63.38.144.173

Teamrush nailed it.but thats sometimes hard to do layin' in the drive way.Get a coulpe of each shim(thick and thin),start with a thin and listen,shims are cheap,and you will use them someday.seems like a pain i know,but its a lot faster than changing a flywheel

all laws only affect the law abiding
support capital punishment,guarantee no repeat offenders

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by CJDave (Carpal Tunnel) Posted on 8/25/00 04:20 PM From IP 208.12.101.58

Oh.....and one other thing....only use the GENUINE knurled O.D. GM starter bolts.

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy Quadra-Trac Team.

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by TeamRush (veteran) Posted on 8/25/00 04:26 PM From IP 208.143.14.62


I'm so amazed at how may people that have been turning wrenches for YEARS and don't know that.
Most of the chevy guys don't even know that...
It's too easy.
I have a selection of different 1/8" wires bent into strange shapes to get to the clearance...
1/8" from starter drive gear shaft to the flywheel teeth, and all your problems go away.
In 25 years I've never seen that fail to work...
Works on the V-6 starters too.

"I Have The Body Of A God... Buddha"

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by CJDave (Carpal Tunnel) Posted on 8/25/00 04:41 PM From IP 208.12.101.58


Are you saying that the wire goes IN the bottom of the tooth groove of the flywheel and the starter tooth is held that distance away? Is that how this works?

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy Quadra-Trac Team.

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by TeamRush (veteran) Posted on 8/25/00 05:04 PM From IP 208.143.14.62


Nope,
Point a tooth directly at the starter drive spindle shaft.
Going with the flywheel/ flexplate, you want the drill rod to just slip in between the tooth and the shaft.

The starter drive gear will be back out of the way, so only the shaft it slides on is out that far.
Go with the flywheel teeth, and against (cross 'T') the starter drive gear spindle shaft.

Exactly 1/8" is what you are shooting for.
If the dust cover comes off in the right place, this isn't hard.
If it's way up in a bell housing somewhere, it's a B*TCH! With a capitol "B"!!

"I Have The Body Of A God... Buddha"

Subject Re: How critical is it to shim your starter? Posted by CJDave (Carpal Tunnel) Posted on 8/25/00 06:18 PM From IP 208.12.101.8
Ahh......I see it now. Boy...it's hard to believe that the root diameter of the drive gear is so small. 1/8" is not all that much. So you shim or de-shim to get the 1/8" rod to fit up close. That's not too hard. I have NEVER heard of this little technique.

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy Quadra-Trac Team.




JAF
http://www.monsterslayer.com/jeep

Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I guess its off the the shop to pull the t/c & tranny!

Lowrange
Email: [email protected]
87 Wrangler, 4.2L, HEI, BA-10/5 (but not for long), Procomp lift, Procomp 3000's, Superwinch