Starter not engaging?

[plumkrazee70]

Okay, never had this happen before. I got a 318 out of a 5th avenue. I'm just trying to see what the compression is before I throw it in the barracuda.

I got the motor mounted to the transmission a 727 with the converter. I bolted up the starter that came with the motor, but to me it just seems like it's spinning and not engaging the converter. The start spins freely not mounted. The motor came with a 904, I can't see that being an issue though?

I've never had to shim a Mopar starter so I'm not quite sure what is happening. See video.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Video is private. If it is a Chrysler mini starter, not all of them are the same. Some engage and some do not. I don't know what the rhyme or reason is on it. Manual vs automatic starter? I don't know. But I know lots of other people I know have had the same problem.

 

[plumkrazee70]

Shoot try now. It's an original biggin starter.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Shoot try now. It's an original biggin starter.

Then I would suspect a bad starter bendix. That's what it sounds like. Remove the starter and if you can turn the drive gear both ways, the sprag is bad.

 

[Professor Fate]

I've never had to shim a Mopar starter so I'm not quite sure what is happening.

Shimming a Mopar starter just moves it further forward from the ring gear, it doesn't affect engagement. That's a Chebby thing.
Are you sure your Bendix isn't hanging up? It would still spin, it just wouldn't kick the drive gear out. Try lubing up the drive helix.

 

[plumkrazee70]

So I separated the trans from motor and bolted starter up. It spins the converter just fine. What the heck? Attached is that video along with the converter and flex plate. No the trans and converter are not a match to the original flex plate, again never had that issue as the flex plate bolted to converter fine.

 

[plumkrazee70]

I'll try mating everything back together tomorrow and see how it goes. I'm wondering if the flex plate pulled the converter too far forward (close to the engine) Again I never had that problem before. I do have another flexplate, I could try.

 

[4spdragtop]

Pretty sure there was a thread recently with a similar issue. I'm no help, but maybe do a search. Good luck.
Oh are those correct bolts?(flex to crank?)

 

[plumkrazee70]

Pretty sure there was a thread recently with a similar issue. I'm no help, but maybe do a search. Good luck.
Oh are those correct bolts?(flex to crank?)

I believe so. They were threaded into the converter, so I'd believe so. They look like converter bolts. Like these

 

[4spdragtop]

I had issues(always do) when I saw "witness marks" on torque converter from flex plate to crank bolt heads being too thick. I had installed flex to TC by mistake. Heads look the same, but are thinner on the flex to crank( or vice versa lol)

 

[plumkrazee70]

Okay, I took off the flexplate from the 5th ave motor and bolted up the barracuda flexplate and same thing. So I'm not sure what is happening here. I measured the snout of the bell housing to the middle of the ring gear, it's about inch and a half. Took the starter back out tested it on the ground and from my measurements there's no reason why they shouldn't be engaging the ring gear. I don't know what else to do?

I guess I could just abandon this starter altogether, and go to the parts house and get a mini starter truthfully I haven't had a Chrysler big starter in a long time.