starter grinding

[chmee]

I recently purchased an '85 M1009. Used slave cables to start it when I picked it up and have just got around to working on it. Replaced a dead battery and the other took a full charge without any problem. Now, the starter grinds without turning the engine over. The battery I did not replace is an interstate. When I was picking the vehicle up to trailer it home, the glow plug wait light would come on and cycle off, but the starter would only click, so I figured I had a bad battery from the beginning. With the slave cables, everything turned over fine. The starter seems solid and the bracket is in place. Would the starter grind if the unreplaced battery was weak? Looking for something to try and troubleshoot this without blindly replacing another battery and before the grass grows taller around the new yard ornament.

 

[197thhhc]

Take the starter loose and look at the teeth on the flywheel. They may be worn off. It was a very common problem when I was in the service.

 

[PAm1009]

pull the inspection plate on the tranny and check your flexplate.. Mine was missing teeth and had flat spots

 

[Warthog]

Welcome to SteelSoldiers.

Have you researched and done the "doghead relay" starter relay replacement?

What type of starter is it? The old sytle large direct drive or the newer style skinny gear reduction?

Both batteries must have a full charge and be load tested. Just because it takes a charge doesn't mean it is good. A battery with a bad cell can show good voltage but fail a load test.

Make sur eyou visit the CUCV forum, read the Wiki page and all the stickies.

Seem like we cover this issue on a weekly basis.

Try to keep all your simular issues in one thread so we know what has been already covered.

 

[chmee]

Looks to be a direct drive starter. I am going to have the old battery load tested and pick up the parts for the relay mod. as my first steps.

 

[Warthog]

Here are the two side-by-side

 

[chmee]

Thanks for the pic and the advice. Starter is definitely the larger one. Would a bad battery still allow the starter to turn and to grind? Would the relay do the same? Just wondering if these two issues are potential solutions to my problem, or just improvements.

 

[Warthog]

Yes to the bad battery. Relay probably not. The relay is an improvement that will greatly decrease the chance of a runaway starter

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/70846-poll-who-has-done-dodhead-relay-conversion.html

It may also be time to have your starter rebuilt. The direct drives are known to eat the internal bushings and brushes.

Whenever you are working on an electrical problem always charge and loadtest your batteries. Don't assume anything until you verify. I have seen brand new batteries that had a bad cell. Everything looked great but under a load would puke thier guts.

 

[chmee]

OK, thanks again. I will move ahead as planned then. If the battery is the problem, then I will have the relay on hand to work on next.

 

[Monty]

Grinding, check to make sure the starter is engaging the flywheel completly, and the starter is tight to the engine. You need to have two good batteries otherwise the bendex won't engage the teeth of the starter into the flexplate and you'll strip teeth on it.

Pull the inspection cover and look over the flexplate you may have a bad flexplate. if not use a prybar to pry the stater gear out and check the teeth on it also see if there's anyplay in the shaft with the starter gear on it.

On my M1009 the bushing was washed out and causing the same problem ( I had the gear reduction type) I ordered a new starter of e-bay but as a back up I pulled the stater apart and everything looked fine in it. So I ordered a new oil impregnated bushing and pressed it in. I have the demensions of the bushing so let me know if you need them.

Like everyone else said go through the CUCV forums I think everything has been covered at least once.

Good luck

 

[Monty]

Oh Yea......... Welcome to the site

 

[mistaken1]

Don't forget the bracket. The starter needs the bracket at the back end to keep the mounting bolts at the other end in one piece.

 

[tstone]

The old GM engines had shims(factory installed) between the top edge of the starter housing and the transmission bell housing. Generally, these shims were removed when a replacement starter was installed. Without proper shimming the starter drive gear clearence will cause this problem.You can buy these shims from a auto parts store or a dealer.

A weak battery will not cause this problem as the starter solenoid (attached to the starter) voltage will collapse when a load is applied and cause a distinctive clicking sound. You may have to replace your flywheel and check the starter drive gear to see if it is salvageable.

Good Luck!

 

[rbeasley66]

I recently purchased an '85 M1009. Used slave cables to start it when I picked it up. With the slave cables, everything turned over fine. The starter seems solid and the bracket is in place.

It seems you may have answered your own question. Using slave cables it works just fine, but without the slave, it grinds. I would load test the batteries first for the source of your problems.