Starter Motor noisy!

jwheel55 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-07-2002, 02:32 PM

Guys, I've just replaced the starter motor on my 1966 Ford 289 cu. in .engine. It has a 4 speed top loader gear box and the original starter was operating quietly but the armature and brush gear was very worn.I fitted a Ford Racing Performance BYM-11000-A50 starter motor and it sounds very noisy. The noise sounds like a metalic clash between the pinion and ring gear. I checked the ring gear and it is a 157 toothed type. The starter cranks the engine well and doesn't miss engaging but it make such a din that it sounds like its worn out. Not what I had in mind when I spent the equivilent of $200 . Any suggestions as to what may be wrong and how I might fix it. Jonny

RICK LAKE · #2 (**permalink**) 07-07-2002, 07:29 PM

Hey jonny check the air gap between the bendix of the starter and the flywheel. It maybe too tight Go to a generater show and see if they have starter shims. Try a .10 shim and see if the noise gets better. I have seen up to 3 shims put in to get the right air gap. It is the width of a large paper clip. Try this first. Good luck Rick Lake

RICK LAKE · #3 (**permalink**) 07-07-2002, 07:29 PM

Hey jonny check the air gap between the bendix of the starter and the flywheel. It maybe too tight Go to a generater shop and see if they have starter shims. Try a .10 shim and see if the noise gets better. I have seen up to 3 shims put in to get the right air gap. It is the width of a large paper clip. Try this first. Good luck Rick Lake

jwheel55 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-08-2002, 11:20 AM

Rick! Thank you for your suggestion. I will try shimming out and see what diference it makes. I was thinking that the pinion bendix wasn't meshing deep enough a causing the noise but I hadn't considered whether it was travelling too far and perhaps bottoming out and clashing. I sounds just like those old starter motors, before pre-engaged types were used, when the pinion and ring gear used to get chipped and worn making that horrible metallic noise. It will a couple of days before I can get to it but hopefully I can fix it. Jonny

SFfiredog · #5 (**permalink**) 07-08-2002, 11:33 AM

The 289 had two different starters. One for automatic transmissions and one for manual transmissions. The snout on the auto trans starter is longer and would cause the noise you described. Pull the starter and compare the snout length to your old starter.
HTH,
Mike

Mr.Fixit · #6 (**permalink**) 07-08-2002, 04:54 PM

If you can hear the starter's teeth engaging, adjustement is necessary. Napa should have the ford starter shim(s) you need, it just spaces the starter closer to the front of the motor.

jwheel55 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-11-2002, 02:53 PM

Guys! I removed the new starter motor this morning and did a check. The marking on the pinion teeth shows that it is meshing at least half of the length of the teeth and reasonably deeply. On the original it looks as though the whole length of the teeth have been in mesh.
The pinion isn't travelling too far and bottoming out. Just the opposite in fact so shimming isn't required. I spoke to the suppliers and the engineer from the company said it was possibly design differences of the bell housing and plate as the starter was more suited for a 302 than a 289. It's difficult to compare the old and new starter motors because they are so radically different in size overall. But it can only be a few thou difference but enough to cause noise during cranking. Like I said originally, it engages every time ok and spins the engine fine. It's just the noise it makes doing it. Guess I will have to live with it or try a OE starter. Thanks for your input . Jonny.

Rick Parker · #8 (**permalink**) 07-21-2002, 12:00 PM

Is the starter purchased compatible with the 157 tooth flywheel?
Maybe it was designed for 164 tooth flywheel thereby making the pitch on the starter drive different from what you had. Just a thought.

Rick

jwheel55 · #9 (**permalink**) 07-21-2002, 02:28 PM

Rick! That did occur to me but I did specify the 157 type ring gear and I have listed the part no. of the new starter as shown .Perhaps anyone with knowledge of part numbers would confirm that is the correct spec. The suppliers asked me this question and when I had the trouble I double checked the ring gear just in case.The pinion on the starter has a different number of teeth from the original but as it is a totally different starter I assumed it was part of the design. When I get time I'm going to remove some metal from the plate that locates the starter to the bell housing and see if I can get it to mesh more closely.There seems to be a reasonable amount of clearance around the bolt holes so there is some room for fine adjustment. A bit of a gamble but nothing ventured , nothing gained.
I just might need the source of a new plate. Thanks for your input, Jonny.