Club Cobra - Starter troubles

Club Cobra (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/)

- Shop Talk (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/shop-talk/)

- - Starter troubles (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/shop-talk/95705-starter-troubles.html)

Starter troubles

I have an intermittent starter problem. I am running a 331 small block with a shatter shield and a FORD MOTORSPORT HD starter.
Occasionally the starter will just "click" and not engage. If I put it in gear and rock the car a little it will engage and start. I have also coaxed it to start by leaving the clutch out and forcing it in gear a couple of times. Sometimes I have to do this 2 or 3 times before the car will start.
I have double checked all the grounds, neutral start switch and starter contacts and everything is in good order.
My theory is that the starter gear teeth are hitting head on instead of turning slightly and engaging the ring gear. Possibly the shatter shield, being a steel stamping, may not have the starter in perfect alignment. Has anyone else experienced this?

Could be low voltage

I had a very similar problem with my Everett-Morrison with Genesis alum. 427FE motor. Very often it would just click, usually when it was hot. I'd rock the car and sometimes this worked but mostly not. I was told by someone that the started was out of alignment needed to be shimmed. This just didn't seem to make sense so I tried other things.
I took the starter to a shop and had it tested...OK.
I put insulation on the starter...no difference.
I talked to a reliable engine guy who said these motors don't need to be shimmed check the voltage.
I put a meter on the starter and found I wasn't getting as much voltage at the solenoid as I should have. I checked the voltage at various points in the starter circuit and found I was loosing a fair amount between the battery, key, solenoid routing. I put a simple relay in with the ignition switch closing the relay and battery juice then going straight to the starter solenoid.
It has worked like a champ ever since.
I don't know if your car employs a starter relay or just uses the ignition switch to crank the starter as mine did but this mod worked for me.

If it is a ford starter with remote solenoid make sure the solenoid is grounded properly, this is a common problem with this system. Good luck.....