# Omg what next!



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

This is apparently my year to keep a local heavy equipment shop busy. After a few minor repairs our loader now decided it wants either a new starter or ring gear on the fly wheel or both. I am praying to God it's just a starter but here's what it's doing maybe someone can help. When I go to start the machine sometimes it just clicks, I go back and give it a few wacks with a rubber mallet then it try's to start. Now it grinds like trying to start a car when it's running, it will turn over for a split second then stop so I wait a second and keep doing this routine for about 10 minutes and each time the turn over lasts a bit longer. Today it did the same thing only now it sounded like grinding metal so I'm sure the starter is on it's way out (looks like a brand new starter). How often do ring gears go bad?


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Sounds like the starter bendix is shot to me. Not properly engaging. Broken ring gear is normally more of clunckin noise when the starter gear hits the bad spot.


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## RepoMan1968 (Jan 9, 2012)

starter here , pretty hard to chew a flywheel on a piece , got to be an abusive negligent sob operator .


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

kimber750;1413748 said:


> Sounds like the starter bendix is shot to me. Not properly engaging. Broken ring gear is normally more of clunckin noise when the starter gear hits the bad spot.


I also just put a new slave solenoid on it last week and it fired right up, no clicking, grinding or anything and now that it's below freezing it started the initial clicking first then grinding. Hopefully I will be able to take it off tomorrow and see whats going on. If thats not bad enough, the repair shop is about 15 miles away and at a whoppin 12-15mph thats a long ride,lol


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## jkiser96 (Sep 19, 2006)

I would almost have to agree with the bendix.


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## RepoMan1968 (Jan 9, 2012)

we know you have one booked for back up when momma nature pulls the triggerThumbs Up


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

RepoMan1968;1413822 said:


> we know you have one booked for back up when momma nature pulls the triggerThumbs Up


Yeah it's 15 minutes away. Thumbs Up


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## USMCMP5811 (Aug 31, 2008)

Brian Young;1413794 said:


> now that it's below freezing it started the initial clicking first then grinding.


Is it possable that there is a lot of moisture between the starter and ring gear that froze, causing the bendix to not fully engage, causing the grinding issue???? 

I've seen some plow trucks that get snow packed up between the bell housing and back of the oil pan, causing the inspection cover to bend into the fly wheel, making the motor sound like it had a spun berring knock.


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## KBTConst (Oct 25, 2009)

Sounds to me like the solenoid is bad it's turning the starter but not engaging it into the flywheel. Just with the starter turning it will sound like its metal to metal.


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## oneoldsap (Dec 26, 2011)

The clicking could be caused by several things , low voltage , bad solenoid , corroded connections ! A draw test on the starter , will tell you if the starter motor is any good . Sounds like the starter drive is self destructing , I'd get it off before it comes apart and does eat the flywheel . I'm surprised that an outfit with that much equipment , doesn't have someone with enough mechanical ability to change a starter . The only time a shop gets any of my money is when I absolutely can't do the job myself . Like a transmission rebuild !


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## 87chevy (Mar 11, 2009)

Did you check all the connections?...


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

oneoldsap;1414235 said:


> The clicking could be caused by several things , low voltage , bad solenoid , corroded connections ! A draw test on the starter , will tell you if the starter motor is any good . Sounds like the starter drive is self destructing , I'd get it off before it comes apart and does eat the flywheel . I'm surprised that an outfit with that much equipment , doesn't have someone with enough mechanical ability to change a starter . The only time a shop gets any of my money is when I absolutely can't do the job myself . Like a transmission rebuild !


??? I do most of the smaller (starter) repairs and maintenance myself, but I'm not going to be flat on my back in a parking lot trying to separate a engine and tranny from a loader. It comes out today to check it out, we've been out from Thursday, when this happen to this morning......need to catch a few zzzzz's.


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## Mick76 (Aug 2, 2009)

Brian,
I hope it is "just" a starter, but if it is and its a 24 volt system I had to replace one to a tune of $1000 for a rebuilt starter!........ Isnt heavy equipment fun?....lol sorry man good luck!


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Mick76;1415376 said:


> Brian,
> I hope it is "just" a starter, but if it is and its a 24 volt system I had to replace one to a tune of $1000 for a rebuilt starter!........ Isnt heavy equipment fun?....lol sorry man good luck!


Well its out and found the first 1/4" of the bendix gear ground down and matching pattern on the flywheel so I'm guessing the bendix wasn't being pushed out far enough. I couldn't see any missing teeth on the flywheel but you can only see about 4" of the flywheel. The dealer I work with said it was just a common starter from a cummins.....HOPEFULLY. And yes, heavy equipment repairs are not fun, this morning the skid steer fuel gelled up...good times, good times.


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## oneoldsap (Dec 26, 2011)

Glad to hear you got lucky , sounds like a new drive will solve the problem . Best case scenareo instead of worse , like always seems to befall me ! Thumbs Up


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

oneoldsap;1415916 said:


> Glad to hear you got lucky , sounds like a new drive will solve the problem . Best case scenareo instead of worse , like always seems to befall me ! Thumbs Up


This year is going to hell in a hand basket quickly,lol. My luck this season is awful, last week my 6.0L needed a new fuel pump at 87k miles :realmad: to the tune of 700 bucks then these two hopefully minor things. Thankfully an 11.00 fuel filter fixed the skid steer issue today and hopefully a quick rebuild to the starter. I told the box store we plow, that the equipment is at, I am having an electrician install an outlet in a nearby light pole and I don't care what your cooperate office says.


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## oneoldsap (Dec 26, 2011)

I don't miss not being in the excavating business anymore . Stuff only breaks when you need it ! That's why I'm a one man operation , I don't want the maintainence headaches , and I'll never have another employee !


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