Sometimes when I start my 99 5.4 liter, the ignition grinds just like if you tried to start a already started vehicle. When I crank it again, it's fine. It has happened about 5 times in 6 months.

The engine is always warm when it happens. It's not hot weather BTW.

Any ideas what is the problem?

 

Well, I hope it isn't what I think it might be. It sounds like a bad ring gear. What is a ring gear? The teeth on the outside of the flywheel that the starter catches are known as the ring gear.

The way to get a bad ring gear is by accidently trying to start the engine when it is already running. The starter crashes into the ring gear, and chips some teeth.

Whenever the engine stops and the damaged teeth line up with the starter, the starter has a hard time gripping, and makes a horrible noise. Usually, the starter will grab enough to turn the engine over a fraction, so the next time you hit the starter, the starter will grab some good teeth on the ring gear and the engine will start fine. If the ring gear is badly damaged, the starter may not be able to spin over the engine enough to grab some good teeth. Very bad.

If there is only one bad spot on the ring gear, you may only have trouble starting one out of 50 times or so.

The solution is to live with it, or pull the transmission off and replace the flywheel. Maybe it would be covered under warranty.

Good luck!

 

Mine is doing the same thing, and is at the dealer right now being checked out. Not only for that, but for numerous others as well. We'll find out what they say tomorrow.

 

I also may be a loose (or lost) starter bolt. If it is loose or falls out, the starter can be loose and hang out just a little and when you engage it, it will grind. Hope this is it cause it's a cheap/quick fix.

 

thanks guys for the responses. I hope it's not the tranny, though I do have a 7/70000 warranty. I just have 12000 miles on it now.

Hey outplaying, if they solve your problem maybe you could send me your receipt of how they solved it so I can give it to my dealer.

thanks again

Robert

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99 F150 Xtracab 4X4 XLT
5.4 liter Flairside
3.73 gears
all stock for now

 

hey outplaying, did the dealer find out the problem?

Also f250nut, where's the starter bolt?

thanks

Robert

 

I forgot to add that it happened again today!!! but this time the engine was cold.

Robert

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99 F150 Xtracab 4X4 XLT
5.4 liter Flairside
3.73 gears
all stock for now

 

Sorry it took so long to respond.... the starter bolts go through the starter into the bell housing. Depending on engine/tranny combination, you either have 2 or three bolts. (they're actually lag type bolts without nuts)
good luck!

 

Starters 101

Assumption: The starter worked correctly for a 'buncha' miles/starts -- and there is a proper 'fit' between the starter pinion gear and the flywheel ring gear.

Background:

The mechanism in the starter has a helical (spiral) shaft that the pinion (smaller) gear rides on. It is almost literally 'shot' rearward towards the flywheel at the same moment that the starter motor gets the "go" from the starter switch (solenoid).

Over time, a couple of things happen: The magnetic thing-um-a-bobbie in the starter that electro-magnetically moves the lever that pushes the pinion rearward on the shaft wears, loses it's strength, and/or the shaft/gear/lever that throws the pinion back gets out of whack -- the timing gets off and the gear doesn't make it back with enough force and speed to engage the flywheel before the motor starts turning. The result is that the motor/pinion is turning as it is being slammed back into a motionless ring gear.

The teeth on the pinion gear are beveled to assist in mating with the flywheel ring gear -- and many many engagements wear the pinion round -- and they lose the bevel which helps it avoid clashing during the mating.

The bushing (only lubricated once at the factory) is brass -- and wears oblong.

High compression engines "park" or stop in several repeatable spots. A diesel 6.2 Litre (yup, a chevy) parks in only 4 spots -- and this means that for that engine, the wear occurs on any of 4 spots. Obviously, if you booger up one of the areas, you run a 25% chance of continuing the booger.

Fortunately, the pinion gear has only a fraction of the teeth of a ring gear, so the little gear gets to be a throw-away item -- the flywheel can take quite a lot of abuse and still be usable.

Solution: Replace the starter drive (many people call it the Bendix) -- or have your starter rebuilt -- before the pinion gear saws thru enough of the ring teeth width to render it unserviceable.


End of lesson.

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Y2K™

XLT SC SB 5.4L 3.73LS

 

Any updates as to whats happening with ya'll's starters? My truck seems to have the same problem. It's really startin' to become a PITA

 

I also have the same issue - I bought my truck used with 83k on it and it stated do this just a month after I had it. Like mentioned before - I just deal with. I've been meaning to climb under and check the bolts, I had a similar issue with a 76 Cougar that I had and it was a loose starter.

I'm interested to hear what outplaying finds out also.

- Mark

 

well I found out mine was the flywheel. The starter sometimes does not engage right and just grinds on the flywheel's teeth. I had to replace the flywheel (cost about $300) and all is good now.