The starter began acting up a few months back...only working half the time. Eventually it wouldn't crank the car at all...it would make a god awful noise (wheeeeeee) but not turn the flywheel. I took the starter off and had it tested. It would run...but the starter drive wouldn't move up to engage...just spin in place. Bought a new starter. Once on it cranked. Took it off the jacks and drove around, then parked for the night. Next morning...wouldn't crank. Heard the "wheeeeee" noise again. Figured it worked itself loose and needed to be shimmed. Tried that...it cranked. Drove around then parked it. Next morning..."wheeeeee" noise again. wouldn't crank. Tried to re-shim. Now its shaving parts of the teeth off the fly wheel. no matter how I shim it...it won't turn the flywheel more than a few inches. The starter drive cog in the starter only covers about half the width of the flywheel. I really don't know what i need to do. I've shimmed the thing 20 different ways to Sunday. No shims, half shims, one, two, three....six shims. nada. Now...I can't even physically make the flywheel turn. Bent a screwdriver trying to turn it.

I'm new to working on cars...but i've replaced a starter before...it's not rocket science. This has the potential to be a bad *** car. Hard to get started if I can't get the engine going.

 

Looks like my problems extend beyond the starter. I pulled the plugs and tried to turn the motor..just in case. Sure enough...wouldn't move more than an inch either way.

 

Bummer on the locked up motor, hope it isn't terminal. If it is, look at it as a chance to build the motor the way you want to.

As far as starter shimming, I prefer to use the 1/8" drill bit method, details here:

http://www.marinemechanic.com/site/page169.html