F250 grinding noise when starting

Hi all,

I have been having this issue for over a year now, it only happens once in a while.

Sometimes (once every few weeks?) when starting there is a loud "grinding" noise and the truck doesn't start. When it happens I try to start it again and get the same noise. This happens a few times in a row. Then...sometimes after I wait for a few minutes and try again, it will finally start without making the grinding sound.

A couple of times it wouldn't start at all and I had to get it towed and my mechanic replaced the starter. But it still keeps happening... so I am wondering if there is something else apart from the starter, it seems unlikely that it would keep happening after replacing the starter (twice).

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Lou

Pull the starter out and inspect the flywheel starter ring rear (the teeth around the outside of the flywheel) for damage, there could be one spot on there where a couple of teeth are damaged that the starter is having a hard time with. You will have to have someone else spin the engine by hand as you watch the teeth go by.

Torch is right. I might add that you would think if the teeth were bad on the ring gear it would be against the odds for it to go back to that one spot when you turn the motor off. When the motor is turned off the engine rotates until it comes to the cylinder with the highest compression. Hence, it always stops where the ring gear is worn. After trying it a few times it slowly goes ahead to the next gear which isn't stripped.

If you're in the position where the starter won't engage and you're looking at having to arrange a tow, there should be a way around that if it's a manual gearbox.

Switch the ignition off, put it into the highest gear (fourth or fifth) release the parking brake and then push it either forwards or backwards a little - a foot or two should be plenty. Then put it back into neutral and try starting it again. When you push it whilst in gear, that rotates the flywheel so that a different section will then be meshing with the starter pinion.

I don't think there's any temporary way around it on an automatic but that will work on a manual.

Heh, I meant "ring gear" not "ring rear".

Thanks for those suggestions.

When I was talking to my mechanic he said that if the flywheel is damaged then he could replace it but that would be expensive because he'd need to pull the transmission.

Hmm... I wouldn't know where to begin with pulling the starter so I can get a look at the ring gear - is that something that is relatively easy to do?

Thanks,

-Lou

Pulling a starter can be one of the easiest things to do, or one of the worst things to do, it totally depends on the vehicle.

Follow the big wire from the POS or + terminal on the battery, eventually you will end up at large long round thing, this is your starter. Disconnect the NEG or - wire from your battery, you can leave the + wire attached. Remove the big wire from your starter then undo whatever bolts are holding the starter up.

There are usually two or three bolts holding up the business end of the starter, some also have a little bracket that holds up the tail end of it, they are usually very heavy it wouldn't hurt to have someone else hold it up while you remove it.

Thanks Torch,

-Lou