Starting problem, starter vs. ring gear

Posted by Steve On 2011/10/1 13:24:43

Re: 1951 Packard 200, 288 engine, auto trans.

Started car to go get a 'burger'. As the car has done for the last 10 years, it started. I know the engine sounds, road sounds, every creak and groan she makes. You might even say we "communicate" to each other. After lunch I got in the car went through the start scenario and.....CLICK...... what the he**.......... went through the start scenario again: turn key, depress gas pedal........CLICK........check the head lights, bright. Check the batt connections, good. Check the start switch at the base of carb, working and the small connection on the solenoid gets hot. Jumped the batt side of the solenoid to the starter side of the solenoid......CLICK.... pushed the small button on the top of the solenoid.....CLICK.....I'm getting the feeling the starter is having a problem.....I call for a tow truck and have the car towed back to the storage area where all my tools are. Jeeeeezs, it's now night time. Load tested the battery....it's good. I pulled the starter and took it to a local 'starter/generator' shop. They check it out and gave it a clean bill of health. I'm now starting to doubt my own abilities. Go back and get ready to re-install the starter ( it's day time now), check the different starting wires......then I notice that one tooth on the ring gear is about 1/4 to 1/3 chipped......make a mental note, install the starter/wires and battery. Now I'm going to start it, so I reach down to push the button on the solenoid, I'm looking right at the starter from about two feet away, push button......CLICK...... HUH?????.... at the very moment I pushed the start button I saw the back end of the starter deflect (move back) an 1/8 to a 1/16 of an inch. OMG!!!!! The engine is frozen. I pull the fan and pulley and put a socket and cheater bar on the crankshaft nut but I can't move the engine either way. I now remove the starter, I see that that chipped tooth on the ring gear appears to be chipped off a little more (can't be sure). I retried to turn the crankshaft and the engine turns, so I take 2, 360 degree trips around the ring gear by way of the nut on the crankshaft. The only damage found to the ring gear is that one chipped tooth. Closer inspection reveals that maybe half of the tooth is missing. I move the broken tooth about 180 degrees away from the ring gear/starter interface and reinstall the starter, finger tighten the two starter bolts, recheck the turning of the engine VIA the crankshaft nut, engine turns freely, I can hear the clutch in the bendix clicking as the starter and ring gear are turning, then I fully tighten the starter bolts. I turn the key, depress the accelerator, it cranks and starts.

Conclusion: The starter engaged and hit a here-to-fore unknown broken tooth, thus jamming the starter as evidenced by the starter back plate "set back" (and subsequent jamming) or, the starter did not engage the ring gear properly and broke the tooth and jammed. I've since started the car 10 times, driven, stopped and restarted the engine and every thing is A-OK. Does anybody have thoughts on this? Change ring gear? Let'r ride? Inquiring mind would like to hear.