gapretzel

Bought the car 1st week of April. Around the 1st of May I installed a new battery. A couple days later when I turned the key the starter went "ZINGGG". We all know the sound. Then when I turn the key again it would start right up. Did that 2 more times over the next 2 days. My thought was a bad tooth on the starter as it had not done this before. But.. it has been fine until yesterday it did it again. Any suggestions? Seems like if it was a bad tooth on starter it would do it more often. I have not pulled it off yet. Flywheel?
Thanks in advance for the help

MITCH

It could be a bad solnoid on the starter cause the gear not to come out and spline with the flywheel.
Mitch

Race Prepared

Sounds like the starter, ragging on your flywheel.

gapretzel

so you thinking replace starter. I would be willing to bet it will work fine when bench tested as it is doing it so sporadically. But I do not want to eat up the fly wheel.

Thanks

leesvet

don't keep doing that !

all that will do is grind on the flywheel...bad idea !

go out and buy a new mini style starter or at least make sure you get the ND starter and NOT the big bulky Delco unit... I think later yr models all had the smaller ND starter...L98 came with the Delco that was prone to solenoid problems...

WVZR-1

OP's '88 would be the first year for the "compact starter" - Why the rush to condemn the starter motor? There's wiring to be considered and maybe a "carbon pile" load test on the car will shed more light on the situation. If it's an OE/GM starter I'd be inclined to do a build of the OE/GM than a purchase of an "off the shelf" reman. If it's not an OE/GM then I'd be very careful of what was purchased to replace it. Not everything that claims to be a performance HD unit is.

leesvet

True WV,
but most remans come with acceptable warranty and these tend to get sticky solenoids from crud or age, to me, its just best to replace. Rebuild the original top to bottom and have it on the shelf as a back up...
That's my plan, anyway...

c4cruiser

There are good reliable remanufactured starters available. AC Delco and Bosch are good reman products. They will have a decent warranty. Don't bother with the chain parts stores stuff. Try Summit Racing for AC Delco starters.

There are new starters available that don't require a core return and I believe that AC Delco and Bosch are examples. Dealing with a core isn't a problem if you buy local, but online returns can be a PITA especially if you have to pay for shipping it back. And with having to return a core, you can't keep the bad starter to rebuild and have as a spare.

Cliff Harris

You don't HAVE to return a core. You can keep it and forfeit the core charge.

c4cruiser

True, but some core charges can run into $50 to $60 depending on what is being returned.

S S0DEN

Missing/chipped tooth on the starter.