Ok, so I've been having a starting issue since I got the truck. Figured it was the cold, did a bunch of things to try fix it(battery, block heater, thinner oil, plugs wires). It would crank, but slooowly then the starter went so I replaced it. Now it won't turn at all. I got the flywheel replaced the day I got it, the shop told me whoever had put it together had used some spacer or piece from an automatic and that they had to rethread the bolts on the housing, which is why they waay overcharged me. The truck now won't crank at all.

So I got underneath and noticed this bolt obviously left that way by the shop I took it to:


Are these bolts right or should they come through farther? (on the housing, they bolt in from the other side)



So does anyone see anything that would cause a starting problem or it not to crank?

 

Well I am not trying to be rude but all you have shown us is that the bellhousing bolts are not long enough to come through the holes. Obviously this has nothing to do with the starting of the vehicle so I dont see anything based on the pictures you provided that would cause it not to crank.

That being said we need some more detail on what exactly it is doing. Is it even making a sound when you try to crank it or is it not doing anything like a dead battery? This will help determine if the starter is just not getting power or if something is bound up.

Thomas

 

I know that's not the reason it's starting, just asking if the shop that fixed it did it right. I was thinking that maybe if it's loose like that something's not lining up right causing the starter to catch or not fully engage. It makes a sound like it goes out then can't turn the engine.

 

So you hear the starter work but it's not turning the engine? Usually when I had a Toyota starter not engage all the way it would make a baaad scraping noise as it crunched against the flywheel teeth. Either you got another bad starter, the wrong starter, or there's a loose connection somewhere. I do agree with the one post on the point about describing more about what it does do. It's not just clicking? You hear the starter turn? Definitely not cranking the engine over though (by that I don't mean the engine firing & starting up, I just mean the starter is turning the engine)?

Yes that bolt obviously should be in all the way and there should be no gap between the engine & tranny. If you could drive it you'd be getting gunk up on your clutch.

 

No clicking, it's nothing electrical, the I think I hear the starter engage but it can't turn. The starter is good I took it off and had it tested.

 

Try loosing the bolts on the starter and moving it around a bit, retighten and try. Sometimes the starter get bolted to close to the flywheel and it is very hard on the starter and will burn out very quickly... happened to me when i rebuilt my engine. As for spacers between the starter i have never seen them on any 20r/22r.

 

I'll try moving the starter away from the flywheel, maybe some washers or something. If that works I'll put a spacer in, might have to make my own though or would I be able to find shims that fit this?

 

is the starter actually spinning?

bench test the starter and make sure the gear is actually moving out to engage the flex plate and not just spinning inside.


as for the bolts.... take it back to the shop and tell them to put the correct length hardware in. you have paid more then enough to get the right length of hardware.

Al

 

I had the starter bench tested, I saw it spin and it goes out just fine. I would take the truck to the shop if I could start it, it's 40 mins away so that'd be a big towing bill.

 

To me it looks like you've got the right length bolt in there, it's just loose. Not positive though.

There's a......no chance your engine's seized is there? Try turning it with a wrench on the crank bolt...since you've been having starter issues it's probably a starter issue, BUT...a seized engine would likely burn out a starter, eh? Hopefully I'm way off.

 

I'll go try that right now. I really don't think it's seized though.

 

How hard should it be to turn? I can't turn it at all using an 8" ratchet.

 

You should need a breaker bar. I have a wrench that extends to probably 16" or more and that turns it pretty easily. Haven't tried it with just an 8". With the longer wrench it turns without having to put any of my weight behind it, but not exactly "easily". Do you have a length of pipe to use as a breaker bar on the end of your wrench? Is your tranny in neutral?

 

Yeah it was in neutral, I'll get something to use as a breaker tomorrow, cold and dark here now.

 

Should be able to turn it with an 8'' ratchet. I can turn my diesel over with one but it takes a while. Those bolts definately gotta go in more than that. Should be in flush and holding the thing together tightly. Its quite a puzzling situation.

 

Well tomorrow I'm gonna call the shop about the bolts they used and not tightening the one. I'll try reposition the starter, see if that helps. And I'll try turn it with a breaker bar.

I really don't think it's seized because it ran perfect then I shut it off. There were no problems other than starting before. Maybe something's causing it to be really hard to turn over like a pully or something frozen.

 

Yeah, I'm sure you're right, I just had an idea I thought you migh want to check. I'm bad about bringing up the worst case scenario...

The starter itself is definitely the thing to check, but I figure while you're trouble shooting you might as well make sure the engine will turn. Did the starter problems only start after the shop worked on the flywheel, or only when it got cold?

 

Well when I bought it the ring gear was bad so I only ever saw it push started then had the flywheel done. It was starting for a bit but having a hard time doing it then it just quit I know the starter on it now is good had it tested yesterday.

If I was working right now I'd just throw money at it untill it started but I took a month off so I'm trying to troubleshoot before I start replacing everything. I'm sure I'll end up doing an engine swap eventually, it'd just be nice to have it starting.

Maybe water got in something and it's frozen solid now, I'll start checking fluids today.

 

Any news?

 

No, haven't worked on it yet it's been cold and snowy here. This weekend I'll work on it. I called Oregon Engine Rebuilders about a 22R superstock, gonna order it this spring so if I don't get it going this weekend I'm gonna park it in storage untill then.