Hey guys, i have an 86 Mustang GT with the T5 and right now the problem is the starter just grinds when i try to start the car. I replaced the trans seperator plate because the old one was bent, while i was in there i checked the flywheel ring gear and everything looked good. It should be noted that my motor mounts are trashed, my passenger side header touches the strut tower ( i have new mounts and in the next week or so it will be in the shop to replace them). Could that cause the starter to be off enough to not crank the engine?I know GM starters have to be shimed and a thousandth of an inch can cause problems. I have a new starter for it that i got for free so when i do the mounts im gonna swap it in and hope that fixes it. Just wanted to see if there is anything elce i should look at/ replace while im in there. Any input or similar stories would be helpfull, thanks.

 

I put a set of L/T headers on a couple of weeks ago and had to remove the starter. When I put it back on and cranked it, the starter wasn't engaging enough of the flywheel. I loosened the bolts and moved it as close as I could toward the flywheel before I tightened the bolts. It sounded normal then. See if that helps.

 

Does the starter GRIND or freewheel? If it grinds, your flywheel may not look too good anymore either.

 

There is a shim you can buy from Autozone, etc. that's for ford starters. My car sounded horrible when I first bought it, grinding, binding of teeth, embarrassed to start in public horrible. Swapped starters 3 times before I found that shim. Now its a joy to start.

 

ford small block didn't use shims i thought. it grinds, when i had the trans out i look at the flywheel and the teeth are ok. I havn't cranked it sence then so i don't think the teesh could have got worce

 

That's what I thought / was told also, then someone on here said there is a one piece shim. Picked mine up a Napa for a couple bucks.

 

I'm having exact same problem.. however, come find out, its the bell housing.. one of the bolt holes has the slightest crack.. so its allowing the starter to shift just a chunt hair when trying to start, and it grinds the fck out of the fly wheel.. teeth are good on both starter and fly wheel.. BUT.. if i wedge a pry bar in there against the starter and header, it will start sometimes or grab better then with out the start...

putting a new bell housing on by next week.. ill try and post up the results.. but check your bell housing where the starter mounts up

 

thats an interesting situation, i have 2 transmisions for it but 1 bell housing. If it wasn't rainging out so bad i would try prying on it. Thanks for the tip, never would have thought about trying that.

 

ya it still seems silly how that can even affect it.. but you'd be amazed.. and if you think about it, it only takes but millimeters and the teeth on the starter won't grab on the fly wheel...

so.. i dunno.. FWIW..

 

found the problem, the previous owner swears it was a new starter. well it wasnt the teeth were mangled and the nose around the pinion was snapped off. my question is where did all that metal go? i dropped the trans before and there wasn't any pieces in there. But she starts everytime almost ready to be a DD