As the title says my starter exploded. I really should have posted pics, but I will try to explain what happened. I just got the car back from paint and went to start the car; it was like it did not want to turn over, but it did and started right up. I immediately noticed a grinding or rattling sound. Tuned the motor off and got under the car to find the starter housing cracked. I pulled the trans inspection plate off to find a large chunk of the starter housing sitting in the bottom. What could cause something like this to happen?

 

Did you forget to shim the starter?
If the starter gear shoots out and meshes tightly with the flywheel/flexplate ring gear, it won't retract and it could be spun until it explodes.

 

That's a common problem for an ignition problem. Cylinder doesn't fire, more fuel gets in and then it finally fires and BOOM. Can also be partially hydro locked and the starter is fighting against the flexplate.

DA friend of mine did it to my truck. He thinks he's a mechanic. I tell him my truck won't start so what does he do? Immediately jumps in and starts cranking it over. Funny kind of engine sound trying to start. I don't pay much attention to it.

Unlike him I know not to crank it over too much. So I investigate a few things and I see 3 plugs black on one bank but the 4th is beautiful. So I realize it's ignition. Change out the cap and rotor. Problem gone.

That is until I fire it up and the loudest rattle you heard in your life until the starter nose cone comes shooting out the giant plug in the bell housing and "tings" off the exhaust pipe below.

New starter later and good to go.

 

It is a stock starter, but there was no shims on it. This could be it but the starter gear did not have a problem. Sounds more like what speedy is explaining, the starter nose cone exploded. But the motor was not cranked for long before it started; only about 1 sec or less of cranking, it was like the starter did not want to crank the motor over almost like it was binding.

 

Mine did the same thing when the exhaust took in quiet a bit of water. The tip of the starter fell into pieces, the motor had a crack running all the way down it etc. Pretty crazy stuff

 

This is my exact problem, what did you do to fix it? Did you just replace the starter? It is a pain in the butt to change the starter I have to drop my exhaust.

 

Are you using the word "motor" to refer to the starter motor or engine? I would think in order for water to do that, it would have had to go into a cylinder. I don't think merely being in the exhaust would cause that problem. Thus the partial hydro lock I was referring to earlier.

 

Im positive water never made it into the motor, the exhaust took in a stupid amount of water (that i know) I had to open up the exhaust near the engine but still at floor level. Checked for water found some condensation.

I took out some spark plugs and loosened others, turned the engine with a breaker bar for a little while. Put in a NEW starter that Injuneer had told me about adjustable for headers etc really nice piece too (Should be in my threads)

The first time I had only tried to start it without doing the above, you could hear the starter just coming out and not being able to turn the engine. THEN I did the above for a few turns tried it again and it shot out tons of water. Runs rough for a bit but I was told it would be expected and would clear up after a couple of minutes of running, and well it did all clear up.

Thats about it, the old starter had the main bulk left and about 3 or 4 pieces that "exploded" off of the starter haha.