Bad Starter or Flywheel?

[Hummer Guy]

Today when I was at the store, for some odd reason when I went to turn it on, the starter just made a spinning noise or it made some kind of odd noise, it didn't even crank the engine, it sounds as if it was detached from the flywheel. This is my first time having this issue in the deuce, I had this happen in the humvee as well 2 months ago but never had it happened again so I just brushed it off and didn't worry about. Should I do the same about this happening in the deuce? I started it up 2 times later on and it started with ease. Another thing, could this be a bad or weak battery?

 

[Gypsyman]

Could be just a weak/tired starter solenoid.

 

[Gypsyman]

Super hot where you are at right now? Heat soak can do weird things to the solenoids if they are getting some age on them. Might check all of the relay connections and grounds too.

 

[Hummer Guy]

Super hot where you are at right now? Heat soak can do weird things to the solenoids if they are getting some age on them. Might check all of the relay connections and grounds too.

Yep, its very hot here, and that sounds like a plan

 

[kenn]

On a related note, I left my accessory switch on somehow last night and woke up this morning to buzzing and all the gauges powered up... It probably sat like this for 12 hours or more. I had fortunately JUST ordered a 24v charger/maintainer the day before. Before I hooked it up, I tried to start it and got several "spins" before I got a solenoid starter lockup and engine start but it did take half a dozen or more attempts. I am pretty sure a battery that isn't tip top can cause that so make sure your batteries are solid. I have the big interstate 31Ps but they are pretty old so I'm expecting them to go any time in this Texas Heat. The maintainer will hopefully keep them going a bit longer...

 

[Hummer Guy]

On a related note, I left my accessory switch on somehow last night and woke up this morning to buzzing and all the gauges powered up... It probably sat like this for 12 hours or more. I had fortunately JUST ordered a 24v charger/maintainer the day before. Before I hooked it up, I tried to start it and got several "spins" before I got a solenoid starter lockup and engine start but it did take half a dozen or more attempts. I am pretty sure a battery that isn't tip top can cause that so make sure your batteries are solid. I have the big interstate 31Ps but they are pretty old so I'm expecting them to go any time in this Texas Heat. The maintainer will hopefully keep them going a bit longer...

That's most likely my problem, I never changed my batteries out since I got it

 

[williamh]

That's most likely my problem, I never changed my batteries out since I got it

I have the same issue with my Duce. Sometimes when I push the button it’s just a hard click , may take a couple of times than it’s all go , usually when I haven’t used it for a while. This has been an issue for 20+ years. I got a spare or 2. Just in case.

 

[Hummer Guy]

I have the same issue with my Duce. Sometimes when I push the button it’s just a hard click , may take a couple of times than it’s all go , usually when I haven’t used it for a while. This has been an issue for 20+ years. I got a spare or 2. Just in case.

Yep, done the same thing with me, it went after like 3 times

 

[GopherHill]

I know it will be a pain, but pull your starter and check the stroke of the solenoid fork. May be grunge or rust causing it to not move the pinion into engagement. If the truck will always start after a few tries, I'd live with it for now.

 

[HDN]

My dad's halftrack had a starter issue that sounded like this. Turn the key a couple times and it would spin and fail to engage. Second or third time it would engage the flywheel and start the track. Eventually it wouldn't even do that, so I pulled the starter and sure enough the starter gear was stripped bare at the tip. We took it to the local automotive electrical shop to get it rebuilt and that solved the problem.

I'd check the stuff that doesn't require pulling the starter first as others have mentioned here. Then if that's not the problem, pull the starter and check the gears. I kinda doubt the flywheel would be the problem as I understand that they're pretty tough, tougher than starter gears anyway.

 

[kenn]

Just out of curiosity, when you flip your accessory switch to on (not started), where does your voltmeter register? When I got my truck it was on the right edge of yellow, just touching the white line separating yellow/green. After overnight charging on a decent charger, it is now on the green side of the white line but just barely. It took all night at 10 amps (5 per battery) to get to a full charge. I started it briefly and it fired right up on the first button push.

 

[ToddJK]

Just out of curiosity, when you flip your accessory switch to on (not started), where does your voltmeter register? When I got my truck it was on the right edge of yellow, just touching the white line separating yellow/green. After overnight charging on a decent charger, it is now on the green side of the white line but just barely. It took all night at 10 amps (5 per battery) to get to a full charge. I started it briefly and it fired right up on the first button push.

That's about how mine is too with switch on but not running, right on the white line of yellow and green. When my old batteries were dying, I noticed as it was getting weaker and weaker, the voltage gauge would show as much. Once it was halfway or in the middle of the yellow, there wasn't enough juice to fire it over. It happened at work too. Luckily there was a Walmart not far away, so I had to walk there, buy two of the strongest batteries they had, which was group 65's at 800cca ea, and carry them suckers all the way back and back to the store with the truck to get my core charge back. The group 65 works fine, but struggles hard in cold temps. I'll be buying group 31's before this winter, my truck needs to start no matter how cold it is if I need it.