4 months ago my stock starter broke in half one day when I turned it over. Got a new one that worked fine up till now. last week it started to make a clicking noise when the gear on the starter was trying to slip into place with the gear on the flywheel. sence then I have tried a number of diferient shim combonations, it is spaced far enough away to fit but just wont. I would have to turn it over 2 or 3 times then it would turn the motor over. But now it takes like 40 or so times of turning the Key still making the clicking noise to try and start it before it will properly mesh and turn it over
The starter on it is a PowerMaster mini,not the OEM style,
has this happened to you?
Do I have to buy another starter

 

ttt

 

Ok so when you are shimming it..are you pulling out the gear to see how it will engage on the flywheel? When I put my Summit ProTorque starter in, I didnt use any shims. I took a screwdriver to pop the starter gear up and then pulled the gear out and turned the gear until it would line up to the flywheel teeth. I made sure that the gear wasn't hitting any flywheel teeth. Once everything was cool, I let go of the gear now that I lined it up. I even used a lil mirror to get a second look and different perspective while I held the gear out. I even painted the starter gear teeth with whiteout so I can see how the starter gear teeth are hitting. I went to the extreme and had a friend start the car when I was under it so I can see how it engages. Also, make sure those bolts are nice and tight to hold that starter down. If they back out, your start will wedge that geardrive into the flywheel and cause it to bust in half. So far my starter works fine.

 

Ya I move the starter gear in and out manuly but I sometimes have to rotate it so the gears will line up corrcetly, and then it goes in fine. But when I use the key to start it up if the gears are in the wrong place the teeth just keep hitting and it wont go all the way in. so I dont know. Thanks

 

ttt

 

I have this same problem, but i have a stock starter. This topic was brought up earlier this week with MANY people having the same problem. You have to turn it to start and back to accessories 20 times before the starter engages, everyone just hears a click but no crank. Still havnty had a chance to get under my car and see whats going on. I wanna say its a loose electrical line, but withy SO MANY others (like 10-20) with the same problem i have a feeling its something else???

 

Do this:
Look at your starter teeth and see where it's getting banged up at. Now use the Shim to correct it. I'm sure you are already doing this but maybe your getting pissed off and can't focus. Start the car with no Shim and see what happends. If it hits the flywheel wrong, start using Sims and start off using one Shim at a time and see what happends. Then use another Shim and see what happends. Also might want to try Shimming one side to either push the gear closer or farther from the flywheel teeth. Try Shimming it to where it pushes the starter away from the flywheel and see what happends. I dunno man, I'm not there to see it so your ganna have to play around with it...that's what I did when I did mine. Make sure that Starter is mounted all the way in and flush too. I noticed on mine that I had to push that puppy all up in there and make it level before I tightened it all up. I had to use a dremel to grind one side of my starter because the oil pan was in the way. You gotta look out for these things! Sucks I know!