JHZR2
Staff member
My MB 1991 350SD has occasionally had a grind and lack of engagement when starting.
It used to be maybe once every fifty starts or more. Recently it happened more, and I’ve encounter times where it happens more than once.
Here is an example:
So I got a Bosch remanufactured starter, and pulled it. Very easy on this car. It’s the same starter on my 4, 5, and 6 cylinder engines of this OM60x series so I figured it was not a risk to buy it.
The old starter looked like a recent Bosch remanufactured unit. Very clean.
I didn’t have jumper cables handy to test the benefit end or whatnot.
When I had the starter off, I turned the engine over and looked at all of the flywheel.
Some spots are pretty bad.
The new starter gear looked identical to the one coming out. I guess it is a good deal harder than the flywheel.
I can’t easily turn this engine over by hand in the case that the flywheel was ever completely shredded in a spot. At least without removing the fan and clutch.
Is there any chance to remediate this flywheel? Maybe, say, carefully wire weld to the bad teeth then file it smooth?
Seems like flywheel replacement is the right approach but that’s a transmission replacement-level labor task, I’d think, so it’s best to wait on that if I can.
How did this happen? Is it a sign that the current starter in there is bad and not getting the gear far enough out? It does spin the engine as evidenced by the video I posted above.
Thanks!
It used to be maybe once every fifty starts or more. Recently it happened more, and I’ve encounter times where it happens more than once.
Here is an example:
So I got a Bosch remanufactured starter, and pulled it. Very easy on this car. It’s the same starter on my 4, 5, and 6 cylinder engines of this OM60x series so I figured it was not a risk to buy it.
The old starter looked like a recent Bosch remanufactured unit. Very clean.
I didn’t have jumper cables handy to test the benefit end or whatnot.
When I had the starter off, I turned the engine over and looked at all of the flywheel.
Some spots are pretty bad.
The new starter gear looked identical to the one coming out. I guess it is a good deal harder than the flywheel.
I can’t easily turn this engine over by hand in the case that the flywheel was ever completely shredded in a spot. At least without removing the fan and clutch.
Is there any chance to remediate this flywheel? Maybe, say, carefully wire weld to the bad teeth then file it smooth?
Seems like flywheel replacement is the right approach but that’s a transmission replacement-level labor task, I’d think, so it’s best to wait on that if I can.
How did this happen? Is it a sign that the current starter in there is bad and not getting the gear far enough out? It does spin the engine as evidenced by the video I posted above.
Thanks!