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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Starter locks up

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Starter locks up -- page: 1 2     woodiewagon46 08-15-2020 @ 6:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 697 Joined: Nov 2012 You might also inspect the ring gear. It also might be worn causing the starter gear to jamb. jyakel 08-15-2020 @ 5:35 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 79 Joined: Oct 2014 42 Wagon and 51504bat, Thanks for sharing your experiences here. I suspect wear and age has something (maybe a lot) to do with my starter locking up problem. I did get my starter back from the starter shop down here. I did get the bracket from Mid-West Ford Parts that Tom O recommended. Last Sunday I re-installed the starter with the new bracket. I can report now that the starter works fine. The engine started right up. However, that does not mean my problem is 'solved'. It could lock up again. But if it does, I know what to do. Replacing the ring gear on the flywheel is a major operation. I did check the flywheel when I had the starter out and it looked fine. Now, by 'fine' I mean I didn't see any broken teeth, but I really didn't look or feel the back side of the ring gear for wear. I think for now I will drive it as is and see how it goes. 51504bat, your fix for replacing the ring gear would be too aggressive for me. That would be like me taking my DeWalt 18V drill and saws-all and attempting an open heart operation. I don't think my car would survive. John 51504bat 08-08-2020 @ 8:26 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 236 Joined: Apr 2020 If it is the ring gear its easy enough to do it yourself. Remove the old ring gear by cutting almost through with a hacksaw and then break it all the way with a big chisel and hammer. Place the flywheel in the freezer and after its good and cold place the ring gear on the barbie (or the kitchen oven if you're single or looking for a divorce). Let the ring gear get warm but don't need to get it red hot. Remove the ring gear with channel locks or other pliers and place it over the super chilled flywheel. Mack sure the bevel on the gear is facing the right way. The expanded ring gear will slip right over the reduced flywheel and lock in place. ______________ No signature 42wagon 08-08-2020 @ 12:00 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 584 Joined: Oct 2009 J If you don't have the bracket, hopefully that may solve your problem. However there is another problem that hasn't been mentioned and that is worn or damaged teeth on the ring gear on the flywheel. Some years ago I worked for a little railroad that provided the section gang with a worn out 40 something Ford pickup truck that I ended up being the driver of. Every once in awhile the starter would lockup. The solution was to put it in gear and rock it back and forth until you felt it free up. Out of curiosity we took the starter off and sure enough you could see the worn teeth on the ring gear. We never did anything about it and I'm sure that several years later it ended up in a scr*p yard. At one point I acquired a Model A with the same problem. Armed with the knowledge from my days on the railroad I took a look at the flywheel. Yupp the same problem. Changed the flywheel and the Model A has been happy ever since. Hopefully this isn't your problem since removing the flywheel isn't easy and replacing the ring gear is a job for a machine shop. TomO 08-08-2020 @ 7:56 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7244 Joined: Oct 2009 My starter lock up twice in the first year that I started driving my 40. A fellow Club member asked if the bracket was installed on my starter, the answer was "no". I installed the bracket and my starter has not hung up in more than 40 years of driving the car. Ford would not have allowed the part to be installed on production cars if it was not necessary, every penny saved on production costs was a penny profit. Tom jyakel 08-08-2020 @ 6:20 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 79 Joined: Oct 2014 OLDTMR, I sure hope that installing the bracket that Tom O recommends will reduce (eliminate) any starter torque during starting. I just got my starter back from the local starter shop down here. Jeff, the starter shop guy, said, 'I couldn't find anything wrong with your starter. It runs strong...' He did put in a new set of brushes because the current ones were about 1/2 gone. So, $25.00 later and I am ready to re-install my starter, as soon as the bracket comes from Mid-West Ford parts. John PS: I know what you mean about 'not counting time when problem solving when retired' I don't know of any retired guy (me included) that pays himself very much money. OLDTMR 08-07-2020 @ 6:22 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 45 Joined: Dec 2010 Not sure that bracket will solve your issues but hoping for ya. I just made three of those little items as the one my truck was pretty well mangled with oversized holes etc. A little tricky and time consuming but when retired time is not counted in solving problems ! jyakel 08-07-2020 @ 5:42 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 79 Joined: Oct 2014 OLDTMR, Thanks for your input and sharing your experience. It is helpful to me to know that starters locking up on old Fords has happen to other Ford owners. As stated above, I ordered the starter to oil pan bracket from Mid-West Ford in Ohio that Tom O suggested. I hope installing that bracket will be the end of my starter lock up problems. John OLDTMR 08-06-2020 @ 1:43 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 45 Joined: Dec 2010 Brings back memories, I had a 57 Ford custom 300 that I loved and occasionally that starter would lock up. My solution was to loosen the starter and inserting a thin washer between the housing and starter. That worked pretty well for some time. I traded the car up for a 64 BelAir hardtop and the salesman called a few days later and asked if I ever had trouble with the starter locking up ? I really could not remember it happening maybe a time or two ! jyakel 08-06-2020 @ 8:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 79 Joined: Oct 2014 Tom O, 51504bat, Cliftford, Thanks guys. Every little bit helps. Greatly appreciated. And Tom O, no I don't have that starter to oil pan bracket on my car. But I am ordering one today. I hope that will be the golden ticket that will eliminate the starter locking up problem. Thanks everyone, John

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