I'm kind of at a loss for this:

86 Toyota pickup, 22R-E, W56 transmission. I replaced the starter about 2 years ago with an OEM Reman from Toyota. A few weeks ago I did the clutch (flywheel was fine) and I noticed a strange behaviour starting when I put it back together (The clutch job could just be a red herring). Once in a while, I would try to crank the motor, the starter wouldn't engage with the flywheel, it just sat there spinning on its own. I didn't think anything of it at first. It slowly started getting worse and worse over the last few weeks until today when the truck wouldn't start at all. I could sit there turning the key over and over, and the starter just spins, or maybe engages for a fraction of a second, then goes back to spinning.

The first thing I checked was that the starter was securely bolted down, which it is. The wiring to the starter is also tight. The only thing left I can think of is to replace the starter, but it surprises me because it's only 2 years old.

 

Re manufactured garbage. Common. Get a new one and be on your way. Also always keep your battery terminals clean

 

Really? I was under the impression that Toyota did a good job at re-manufacturing their starters, unlike some of the other parts places.

 

Reman is reman

 

agreed

 

Might be able to take it apart and use some electrical parts cleaner. At least it's just the cost of the can and some time out of your day, but they're pretty much right. I have the original '00 starter in my 4Runner and I've had to rebuild the starter and clean it up a couple times since I did the engine swap in early '09.

 

yeah def worth a shot, sounds like the bendix just isnt engaging the armature out. i had a mustang tlast week in the shot with the opposite problem, it was staying out with the flywheel and when i removed it it was full of sand.

 

See this PDF on Toyota starter fundamental workings.

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h7.pdf


You can read the whole thing, but on page 8 (diagnostics) it talks about the symptoms your having.

 

It could be a problem with the reman, but it seems unlikely. Your pinion is not engaging with the flywheel. As you noted, "not bolted on tight" will do it as the slight mis-alignment will mean the pinion can't slide in.

There is a small plate on the bell housing; you can remove that plate and get a pretty good look at the flywheel. Presumably, you have some idea what it should look like; if it feels slightly chewed up now you've found the problem.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

also agree. always buy new. reman is garbage.

 

Thanks for the input,

I took an extra 2JZ starter I had lying around and gutted it for parts. It's nearly identical except for the locations of power connections, vents, and the bolt holes are threaded. I replaced the gear assembly in the 22R-E starter with the 2JZ assembly, as the old one was now chewed up. I also cleaned up the solenoid contacts, as well as the plunger itself. The plunger was fairly worn so I used the 2JZ one. The motor looked fine, so I left it.

It works great now, but the comment about the starter not bolted in straight might be the best theory I can think of.