My rig: 1988 Pickup with 22RE

My old starter was starting to crap out, and I would occasionally have to beat on it to get it to crank. (But it didn't make weird noises when cranking it.. it either worked perfect or just clicked) Well today I went to O'Reillys and got a new (well, remanufactured) starter and came home and installed it exactly how the old one came out. When I turned the key to try it out, it made a loud grinding noise while cranking. The truck starts up fine, but I'm sure whatever the noise was can't be good for the starter or the flywheel. I thought maybe I didn't get the gear on the starter lined up correctly with the teeth on the flywheel so I took the starter back off and rotated the flywheel with a screwdriver and reinstalled the starter and tried it again. Same grinding noise.

So I called my dad to see what he thought, and he said that when he used to change starters back in the day he would have shims that he would put between the starter and the bell housing. He asked if it came with any shims and I said no, and it didn't mention anything about them in the instructions that came with the starter either. So he told me to try loosening the bolts on the starter and try starting it again. His thoughts are that the starter gear is hitting the flywheel when it juts out, and shims would remedy this. So I loosened the bolts up and tried it again, and the grinding wasn't nearly as bad, but it was still present. So it kind of worked.

So, is there something I'm missing? Has anybody had this problem before? I called the guy I bought it from at O'Reillys and described the situation to him and he just said bring the starter in and we will test it to see it the grinding is coming from it. So that is no help. What should I try? Are shims still around, or are they a thing of the past?

Rob

 

My first thought was the same as your dad, shims.

What does the FSM say for your truck? Also if no one has the answer here (which i doubt will happen) call up the dealership and speak to a mechanic in service see what they say. (i have done this numerous times here, have a cool service department).

Call the parts house back and have them check/ double check the starter they gave you, make sure it is the right one.

Do you see any difference between the old and the new? measure them.


I have never had this problem and are just thowing out the process i would do.hope it helps.

Good luck.

 

I have the same noise after rebuilding my starter. and like you said yours starts up everytime but has the grinding noise, mines exactly the same. I'm not too worried about it right now but maybe I should check it out. The 3.4 5VZFE doesn't make it easy to get to the starter. I ended up pulling my axle on the passenger side out to get the starter out.

 

I put a starter in my step dads '92 Silverado, and it ground really bad. I took the bolts out and put the shims in, and it worked perfect.

 

sounds like your new starter dont like your flywheel

 

if its grinding somethings not lining up quite right. I would try returning it, and getting a different brand, if they'll let ya.

 

I don't have a FSM, but I do have both a Haynes and Chiltons manual, and neither one of them mention shims.

I would compare them, but I gave up my old one for the core charge . I've thought about taking the starter off and going into AutoZone (since I bought mine at O'Reillys) and comparing it with the starter they recommend for my truck. Also, would a place like O'Reillys or AutoZone carry shims?

Rob

 

They should carry them.
Do you hve a local toyota service shop to call?
i would try the shims get it working and then follow up with a call to the service dept just to make sure.

 

I have never seen a toyota use shims before, the only ones I have seen them on is GM Delphi starters. who knows tho, you might just have gotten a ÅÅÅÅty reman starter. I would return it and get a diff brand.

 

Well I just called the service department at Rockford Toyota, and the guy there also said that these older pickups don't use shims. He said that it must be the starter or the flywheel, and since the old starter wasn't grinding using the same flywheel, it must be the starter. I think I may pull it off and take it back in to O'Reilly tonight. I will update this post to let everyone know how it goes.

Rob

 

i just finished rebuilding my 22re on my 89 4runner and now the same starter and the same flywheel are grinding. i am having to shim the starter out over a quarter inch to avoid this. something is very wrong. the last flange of aluminum that sits in the hole in the dust cover is getting ground down and the starter gear is staying engaged if i don't shim it.

 

I got a different brand starter and installed it, and now there is no grinding . The difference between the starters was in the teeth on the little gear. The new one that doesn't grind has tapered teeth so that it will mesh with the flywheel better. The old one just had straight teeth. I was able to return the old one to O'Reillys hassle free.

You are correct when you say that something is wrong because as I posted above, a Toyota service guy said you shouldn't have to shim the starters on these trucks. Here is what my Chilton's manual says could be the problem if the starter motor will not disengage:

*Starter motor loose on flywheel housing
*Worn drive end bushing
*Damaged ring gear teeth
*Drive yoke return spring broken or missing

Rob

 

the original starter that was on the truck, the oe starter off my 85, and a new starter from autozone all are doing the same thing. something must be wrong with either the way i assembled the engine or the way i installed the engine. i have an auto transmission and i slid the torque converter and wiggled it on to the pump and made sure it was all the way on. when i bolted the the torque converter up to the flywheel i had to draw the torque converter up to the flywheel. so i don't know what's going on?

 

is there possibly a spacer between the flywheel and the crank. perhaps i left this out when i put everything together, or is it possible to put the flywheel on backwards?

 

there is no spacer between the flywheel and torque converter. Atleast there wasn't any on mine...