I just sold my 91 se 5spd to a friend and, even when I owned it just kills starters. About ten a year. I've tried Nissan,Autozone,and pepboys starters. And it just keeps killing them. I thought it was a wiring/grounding issue so I put in a thick new ground wire. But still kills starters. It's like the starter gets a dead spot in it just like if it was old. If you pound on it while turning key you get it to start for a while. Any Ideas?????

 

10 starters a year??? Sounds less like your starter and more like a flywheel issue. You might have some missing/broken teeth on your flywheel causing your (or his, now that you sold it...) starter to just 'wind out' once it hits that dead spot and burn itself out.

Check that....

 

basically remove the starter and check the flywheel... that means you will have to turn it, but atleast its the maxima (ie. easy).

 

True that!

 

I don't suppose you've ever taken one apart to determine why it went dead? That would probably help even though a starter isn't that complicated electrically.