Disaster!

smac · Post by **smac** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:47 am

I fitted a hi torque starter to my g50 3.2 a few months back and It has hardly covered any miles since. Starting it yesterday to move it i noticed a grating noise on starting. I ve taken the starter of this morning and the pinion has disintegrated. Ive recovered some of it from the bellhousing but presumably the rest is now floating about inside. Bugger.

All suggestions very greatfully received.

Simon

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:13 pm

Magnet?

Can you get torch-lit mirror in there to see what's going on?

Bummer ...

1972_911t · Post by **1972_911t** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:43 pm

To be safe I think you will have to split the engine and tranny to make sure there are no bits grinding away at your cases? what sort of mileage has the car done? could be a good time for a clutch job?

Steve

1972_911t · Post by **1972_911t** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:44 pm

Is it still under waranty? is there no case for the manufacturer to pay the cost of removing the lost fragments?

Steve

smac · Post by **smac** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:11 pm

I dont think I could get a magnet down there and have pretty much resigned myself to the engine/box split which I think means engine out. The clutch isnt 3000miles old but I think it probably should be replaced as with the car in gear the wheels turn freely without turning the engine suggesting something isnt right. It was a US ebay purchase so warranty probably worthless.

Whats particularly galling is that if Is take the starter off last night when it first made the noise I could probably have got the pinion all out, but I presumed it was the solenoid faliing as in the old starter and kept on trying to start to see if I could trace the noise. Arse.

Simon

1972_911t · Post by **1972_911t** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:47 pm

Regarding the wheels turning when in gear is this with just one or both rear wheels off the floor? if you can drive the car I doubt the clutch would be that bad that it would slip when just turning a wheel by hand.

Steve

smac · Post by **smac** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:20 pm

This is with both wheels of the floor. Could it be you need to turn both the same direction at once to drive the gearbox input shaft and hence the clutch? I hope so. Is spliiting the box/engine definately engine out?

1972_911t · Post by **1972_911t** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:37 pm

Yeah with both wheels of the floor when you turn one wheel the other wheel will spin in the opasite direction without moving any of the gears in the tranny, try it with just one wheel off the ground.

Steve

smac · Post by **smac** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 5:01 pm

Right tried turning one and the engine turns so at least thats something. Now presuming the bits now reside in the bellhousing whats the worst damage they can do? If its imperative to remove them can I split the boc/engine with them still in the car? Id only need a one inch gap to get a magnet/suction nozzle in .

1972_911t · Post by **1972_911t** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 5:17 pm

You could possibly undo the 4 bolts that hold the engine to the tranny and undo the rear engine mount while supporting both engine and tranny and seperate them an inch or so, however the 3.2 clutch is quite deep and I doubt this would help very much. To seperate them any further you would need to remove the clutch cross shaft from the tranny to allow it to move anyfurther back this all would be very difficult with the engine and tranny in the car.

Steve

smac · Post by **smac** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:34 pm

The ebay guy has refunded me the cost of the starter. I cant see me getting anything else from him.

JohnS · Post by **JohnS** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:04 pm

Can you let us know what make of hi torque starter it was? Need to avoid them!!
Thats
JohnS

smac · Post by **smac** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:47 pm

Does this forum have a no naming & shaming policy - if not I'll identify the source. Or anyone in the market for one could message me.