My starter won't mesh with the flywheel

[efil4sbuD 0]

Hi, i have a Corrado VR6. I recently removed the engine to do a lot of jobs, one of which was to fit a lightened flywheel. I also got my starter repaired with a new bendix while it was out.

It's all now back together but my starter no longer makes contact with the flywheel ringear. I'm a bit baffled by this and i can only see two possibilities; one is that whoever skimmed the flywheel took off some material from the mounting face where it connects to the crank and so setting it further towards the engine and away from the starter. Second is that the starter repair has caused the starter gear not to travel out as far as it should but i've tested it and it looks to travel fine.

Can anyone shed any light on this? I can't really believe it's either of these options but i can't think why else it won't mesh.

 

Maybe if someone has a VR starter they can measure the distance from the mounting face where the bolt holes are to the circlip on the shaft which stops the gear going further forward. I can then be sure that the starter travel is ok.

 

As far as the flywheel goes, the ringear is only about a half inch thick. So, assuming the starter gear connects all of that half inch then i've lost a half inch somewhere (there's no crunching at all, just a spinning starter) and i can't figure out how that can be lost by skimming metal away from the mating area where the 10 bolts connect to the crank as that's only half an inch thick itself. There's not a spacer between the crank and flywheel is there? I don't remember one.

 

Please help, my poor car hasn't been driven for three months.

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

have you bought a lightened flywheel or have you had you one lightened? I cant imagine anyone been so stupid to machine the mounting face! and it would have to be some material to take off to not allow the starter to mesh!

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah, think it's more likely something is not quite right with the starter rebuild or maybe the solenoid not throwing out properly...?

[efil4sbuD 0]

I bought one that had been lightened. And no, i can't imagine anyone taking material from the mounting face. There just doesn't seem to be enough to take anyway so i'm inclined to agree, there's a problem somewhere else.

 

But where? The starter looks fine and seems to be travelling the correct distance but thats why i wanted someone to measure so i can be sure. It would be handy if i could also get a measurement from someone from the starter mounting face to the ringear in the bellhousing.

[efil4sbuD 0]

Ok, this has been sorted now.

 

My problem was that when i stripped the starter down i took the magnets out of the barrel and gave everything a good clean. Unfortunately i put the magnets back in the wrong order so the motor was spinning the wrong way. When it meets resistance from the flywheel it just slips and makes a noise hence i knew it was moving but didn't think it was meshing.

 

So, strip the motor by all means but leave the magnets alone!

 

Just got to sort the brakes and i might just get a drive out of it before the summer.