Transmission

HI I AM HAPPY TO FIND THIS PROBLEM

MY PROBLEM IS THAT I BOUGHT A 1996 JEEP CHEROKEE AND I CHANGED IT OVER TO A MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM AN AUTOMATIC ONE I PUT IN A MANUAL FLY WHEEL,M SHAFTS EVERYTHING I WENT TO START AND THE STARTER IS TURNING OVER BUT IT IS NOT ENGAGING THE FLY WHEEL. I NOTICE THAT IT IS SET BACK AWAY FROM THE FLY WHEEL. IS THERE A STARTER THAT I CAN USE THAT WILL REACH THE FLY WHEEL OR IS THERE SOMETHING I DID WRONG. SO BEFORE I PULL DOWN THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN I WOULD LIKE SOME ADVICE PLEASE.

THANK YOU:confused:

The starter motor drive gear is supposed to be set back from the flywheel about an inch. The "Bendix" drive automatically moves the drive gear forward about an inch to engage the flywheel.
Try removing the starter and bench-testing it. Use a car battery and jumper cables to carefully energize the starter, and watch the drive gear. Does it move forward as it starts spinning? If not, then the bendix drive is faulty.
If it does more forward....... I am not sure what could be wrong :(