I have a starting problem and am beginning to wonder if I've got a bad flywheel, debris in bell housing, or worse.

With the starter out - the flywheel will not turn by hand. I recall when changing my clutch that it would turn freely.

When trying to start, I basically get horrible clanking sounds from that area. The starter will turn the motor and eventually it will catch. But I hear a thud sometimes and clanks sometimes - they aren't normal piston slap.

Any ideas??

 

if you could turn flywheel by hand, then you would never be able to leave car in gear on the hill parked. take the tranny off and see whats there, could be broken sprockets.

 

Check the flywheel teeth to make sure none of them are ground down/etc. Otherwise it's time to pick up a new starter


Fork over the money for one with a lifetime warranty aswell

 

I don't know what the deal is. I decided to put the old starter back on. Both new and old were from Napa. Old one doesn't cause the same problems. I just have intermittent starting problems.

pain in the butt.

 

I think it is the tranny that holds you on the hill. Flywheel turns if I use something to push it a bit - by doing that I was able to confirm that none of the bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel had come loose.

 

It sounds like the gear on the starter is not meshing with the teeth on the flywheel. Just return the starter and get another one. It's not an uncommon problem with aftermarket starters. On some cars you are able to shim the starter to get it to align right. On the Max you can't. It will eventually wear the teeth off the flywheel if you don't get a different staarter. Napa should have no problem replacing it.

The flywheel should be hard to turn. You're turning the whole motor over when you turn it. It is the motor that keeps the car from rolling when it's in gear on a hill. If you don't believe it than push in the clutch and see what happens.