Van is screeching when started sometimes.New flywheel & starter

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My mechanic thinks it may have had a new / other motor put in it now it needs to have the motor numbers checked and match the starter to it as opposed to the "van" motor. It has 310,000 miles and runs very strong so maybe he is right! Sometimes it starts fine, but sometimes it screeches and it take a few tries. I have barely been using it since it started this again. Someone told me it might be the small wire coming off of the starter is corroded and needs to be recrimped or replaced.

wildpony in Antrim NH

Aug 27, 2012

1 Reply

Popular Answer

MShawon Aug 27, 2012

It almost sounds like you're describing two separate issues. The first being that there is a metal-on-metal screeching sound while the starter is engaged & shortly after engine start. I would agree with the conclusion of the shop you normally use that the starter needs to be "shimmed", meaning, insertion of metal spacers, like elongated washers between the starter motor & the engine block. This provides the necessary spacing for the bendix, or gear drive of the starter, to extend, contact the flywheel to turn the engine during the start process, and retract without hitting the flywheel at a small angle, which is enough to create the binding of the starter gear, which is the source of the screeching. The second issue seems to be that when you turn the key to try to start the engine, sometimes you get nothing - no click, no screech - nothing. This is an electrical issue. It could be the starter solenoid, wiring connections or the ignition switch. Someone just needs to find out where the power "stops" when you try to start and nothing happens.

wildponyon Aug 27, 2012

Hi , Thank you for your fast response! I think I was not very clear in my description of the wire problem. Someone just told me tonight that THEY had a problem with the starter slamming and after discovering a frayed wire( and fixing it) their problem stopped. I haven`t checked that out yet. My van always tries to start & eventually does, it just is wrecking the flywheel/starter when it stops on a bad or missing tooth. Mechanic thinks it was because of the possibility of a changed motor while all the time we were matching the starter with the 'proper" one for the van when we need to check the motor numbers.I don`t know, it`s driving me crazy and it`s costing a lot, so Ive just basically parked it till I get more money.

MShawon Aug 27, 2012

Glad to help. Tough times all over & I figure if I can help someone save a couple bucks, that's a good day. Your description was fine - my reading abilities on this stunk. Ignore the electrical part of my response previously.

boston daveon Dec 25, 2012

i am searching and this seems to be the closest.. i am mechanically inclined and have rebuilt a few motors in my day... last year i removed and replaced my engine with used one. (02 exspr, van 5.7 automatic)i was able to get 30k out of it when it finally blew up on an interstate in MO. the tow guy agreed to swap a motor out for me..i found a rebuilt on 5 miles from his shop. they swapped it out and when i went to get it he said he couldn't use my smaller starter i had from my blow engine and that he had to use the larger style because he said the block must be older than my 02.. well i need the van so i left with it.. a month later the starter spun out a few times.. then made the screeching noise and i was wondering if he shimmed it.. i just tried both style small and large and dropped the pan while the starter engaged and noticed the bendix gears not meshing properly and that the flywheel looks like it needed replacement which i will do.. here is my question the large style starter when crossed at napa showed it for a 1992... is the flywheels different from 1992 to 2002.. i am trying to find the specs???? i did shim one of the starters but that didn't help.. the bendix gears didn't mess in all the way and there wasn't enough power to spin the motor with both styles.. the engine does turn i rotated it by hand... so do i need to change the fly wheel to old style because the block casting may be different>>>>>>>>

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