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What's going on with my starter?

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    #1

    What's going on with my starter?

    Hey guy's, been a little while.

    I put the car (1987 TC )back on the road this month after being in storage for the last 6. Been doing pretty good but I've got a little starting problem that's happened about 4 times so far while daily driving it to work and back. I don't know if I need to get a new starter or if I need to pull it apart for cleaning... Or if all I need is another solenoid.

    Here's what it's doing. Every so often I turn the key to start and the starter just spins. It does not engage and turn the engine over. When ever I've hit it a second time it engages and turns the engine over. When it turns the engine over, it turns it fast. Doesn't happen very often, like said above - it's only done it 4 times in the week I've had the car back on the road. Doesn't seem to matter if the car is cold or hot. I've had it just spin on both occasions .

    I'm not sure how these starters are set up. Do they have a bendex type gear that is spit out into the flexplate by the spinning motor? Do they use a solenoid to spit the gear out into the flexplate? I don't know. I have no experience with these. What's it sound like to you guys, and what am I looking at doing before I just go and buy another starter?
    1987 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series-102k miles- LOPO 302, AOD, open 3.27, Dual exhaust w/ Thrush Turbo mufflers
    Tags: None
    #2
    Sounds like the mechanism to kick the gear out is sticking. Since the car was in storage, it may happen less frequently as you use the car.
    I'm not really familiar with that mechanism, but I would suggest removing the starter and at least lubing the mechanism. Also not sure what lube might be best for this application.
    Vic

    ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
    ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
    ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
    ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

    Comment

      #3
      Yea, that's what I was thinking but I wasn't sure. Just want some opinions from all here that have experience with these.
      1987 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series-102k miles- LOPO 302, AOD, open 3.27, Dual exhaust w/ Thrush Turbo mufflers

      Comment

        #4
        My MGM does that here and there, not too worried since it has never taken more than 5 attempts to get the starter to engage.
        I guess that's just called being used to old crap...
        1985 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, "Maisa"
        2005 Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel

        Comment

          #5
          hit the key and it just goes wheeeeee without spinning the motor? The bendix drive is sticky. Its a purely centrifugal throwout thing. Basically its a screw that pushes the gear out when the starter spins, and when the engine rotates faster than the starter it pushes the gear back. The oil on that gets gummy and the gear doesn't want to go.

          three basic choices here, live with it, take the starter off and tear the thing down for a clean and lube, or replace the starter.

          offhand not sure what lube, but I'm sure its in the factory manual. Guessing its a light grease.
          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

          Originally posted by phayzer5
          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

          Comment

            #6
            Allrighty then. I was suspicious of it being a bendix set up, but without taking it apart first, I wasn't sure.

            Seems to be clearing itself up. We'll see. I might feel ambitious when I get it up on jackstands to pull the tranny pan, just go ahead and pull the starter too- for cleaning. I'll have to try and remember to look in my manual for what kind of lube to use too.
            1987 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series-102k miles- LOPO 302, AOD, open 3.27, Dual exhaust w/ Thrush Turbo mufflers

            Comment

              #7
              Starters on these are so easy to do, I did mine myself lol. My car started doing what yours is some six or seven years ago, replaced the starter and haven't looked back.
              1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
              1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

              Comment

                #8
                yeah, not hard, a long extension for the inner bolt might help. I seem to remember using one long enough to put the ratchet out past the crossmember and that gave me all kinds of room to swing the handle. Just make sure you have hold of the starter before removing the second bolt, its heavy and if it falls and bonks you on the head you won't enjoy it.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment

                  #9
                  I'd be swapping it out. BTDT. Bendix one-way clutch was failing, probably shot a roller out and that was the end of that, just 100% spinning starter.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    I don't even remember what I did to get it outta there. I do remember doing it on the driveway and fiddling with the wires that connected to it a lot.
                    1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                    1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Top bolt is a PITA to get to, but lots of extensions make it pretty easy. Get that bolt loose first, then loosen the lower bolt... then your choice which to get out first. I took the top one out first just due to the bottom one being easier to get to so I could have a hand on the starter and the bolt at the same time. Kinda hard to do that with the ratchet forward of the crossmember on the top bolt.

                      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)

                      Originally posted by gadget73
                      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.

                      Originally posted by dmccaig
                      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

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