Need some help with my YJ

[87yjinCincy]

I just bought a YJ and it's looking like I need to change the ring gear on my flywheel. If not the whole flywheel. Anyone up to giving me a hand with this? LOL I'm a noob with this stuff so I just need a little guidance and a place to do it. I'll be glad to compensate for your time.

[94Dodge Truggy]

Auto or clutch? Carwash, TKH fab and a couple of others on the board may be able to help.

[87yjinCincy]

It's a manual. Sorry for not specifying that. I'm going to go ahead and replace a few things while I'm in there. Unless I can get someone to rebuild my tranny fairly cheap. I might just do that. If not, there are some things I want to replace to prevent future problems. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[carwash]

Auto or clutch? Carwash, TKH fab and a couple of others on the board may be able to help.

if it's a "flywheel", then it's a manual. it's called a flex-plate or such in an automatic.

Have you priced a new flywheel altogether with ring and all on it? If you have it out, changing the gear, then you might as well have it turned as well, and replace the clutch if it's questionable as well.

How did you diagnose that it's the flywheel and not the starter gear? Can you look in there and see teeth missing, etc?

All of my shop work now happens between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, due to working another full time job, and i dont think i have any time to do this for you. wish i could help.

Do make sure that you have diagnosed it correctly before tearing into it and replacing the wrong stuff.

[87yjinCincy]

Well, I'm not completely positive that it's the flywheel. I'm assuming. I'm going off the fact that the previous owner put on a new starter and now it's acting up. He says it didn't do this until he put the starter on. This is just what he says so for all I know it could have been doing this before he put the starter on and he put it on thinking that would solve it and it didn't so he sold it. I'm aiming at the worst possible scenario so I'm not let down. lol It's one of 3 things I guess. He either put the starter in and it isn't lined up correctly (i've been told this is possible to do). He got a bad starter. Or the flywheel is missing teeth. The ring gear is about 30 bucks (a new flywheel w/ the ring gear is about 80), a clutch is about 140 and the shop said they'd resurface the flywheel for free since I'd be buying all that other stuff from them. I was also told I should change the slave cylinder while I was in there.

[carwash]

well, i think it's yer starter... take it out, look at the bendix gear, have it tested etc. If it is bad, should have a warranty.

what exactly is it doing?

[87yjinCincy]

Well, sometimes it will start and other times the starter acts like it's not grabbing the flywheel. That's why I'm thinking it could very well be the flywheel since it grabs sometimes and not others. But I'm not very knowledgeable about things like this so if you've heard of this happening and it ended up being the starter please let me know. lol Is there a possibility of the starter being installed wrong and it not lining up right?

[carwash]

the starter takes 2 bolts and a wire to get it off... take it off and have it tested.

then, look inside that hole it came out of and see if you see any bad teeth.

[87yjinCincy]

Well wouldn't I have to rotate it as well to look at the rest of the flywheel? This might sound stupid but how do I do that?

[carwash]

turn the crank with a wrench and the bolt on the front of the harmonic balancer. pull the spark plugs out if you want it to turn easy.

[87yjinCincy]

Crap. I'm not looking forward to this. Once I see some chewed up teeth I'm gonna be pissed. lol

[87yjinCincy]

So just out of pure curiosity, did this guy completely bull**** me when he said the starter could need lined up correctly? My g/f's dad also said that's what it could be but I'm not seeing on here where it'd need to be lined up.

[94Dodge Truggy]

Some vehicles have shims for the starter to be correctly aligned. Does sound like it is a starter issue. Good thing is it is easier to change.

[carwash]

they sell starter shims for a reason. keep in mind, your remanufactured starter has probably been on 5 vehicles before yours, so who knows how perfect that mounting surface is...

just pull the starter and take a look at it. Autozone will test it for free. if it having issues, you will be able to tell from the teeth on the bendix.

when you go to pull it, keep turning the rig off if it starts right. restart it till you find a spot where it spins and wont catch. then pull the starter. if it's the flywheel, you will be able to see it then without turning the crank.

[carwash]

dangit, i was typing too long, you beat me with the starter shims.