Saturn-driving friend needed a starter in a jiffy and called me. I had a couple laying around.
Pulled a used one off a stick shift 94, the same part number fits his automatic 97. My starter was out of service 11 months sitting on the engine in my unheated but dry garage.
This starter sounds a bit unpleasant, shrill.
I was thinking maybe a wear pattern set in, and maybe the two will now start re-wearing together and quieting down. Or maybe the gear teeth are a little rusty from sitting? I have seen globs of grease on new starters in their gear tooth area... this can't last forever, is it just to help them break in? Maybe the slight difference between flexplate and flywheel tooth profiles or something is to blame?
The starter style does not use shims. I held both parts together; looked identical. The old starter lost a mounting bolt then was hanging by one "dog ear" for a while before busting it. Maybe it was cocked a little sideways and put a funny wear profile on the flex plate?
Pulled a used one off a stick shift 94, the same part number fits his automatic 97. My starter was out of service 11 months sitting on the engine in my unheated but dry garage.
This starter sounds a bit unpleasant, shrill.
I was thinking maybe a wear pattern set in, and maybe the two will now start re-wearing together and quieting down. Or maybe the gear teeth are a little rusty from sitting? I have seen globs of grease on new starters in their gear tooth area... this can't last forever, is it just to help them break in? Maybe the slight difference between flexplate and flywheel tooth profiles or something is to blame?
The starter style does not use shims. I held both parts together; looked identical. The old starter lost a mounting bolt then was hanging by one "dog ear" for a while before busting it. Maybe it was cocked a little sideways and put a funny wear profile on the flex plate?