I have read through so many posts about starter issues and could not find an answer, that I finally decided to post here as I am out of ideas and hope somebody can point me in the right direction...
My dilemma is a starter that grinds on the flywheel but is not engaging it.
Here are the details:
Car is a '89 325i automatic. Pulled engine and transmission and swapped in a 96 M52 OBD1 with manual Getrag 260. Engine harness originally from a 93 525i and was in a 90 325i manual swap car that ran. Flywheel is UUC e34 M5. Talked with UUC and they confirmed any e36 starter is to be used with this combination.
First starter came with engine and had a bad solenoid, it did nothing, so I replaced it with a rebuild I got from Autozone (rebuild by Duralast Bosch e36 starter). This one did work but only made horrible grinding noises on the flywheel.
To ensure engine turns over and runs, we jump-started it down the road in second gear, car and engine run fine.
Next thought was it must probably be a bad bendix not pushing gear out, so Autozone exchanged for another rebuild Bosch e36 starter. This one did the exact same thing, just grinding on the flywheel.
Did more research and read in several posts that starters are occasionally being confused and thought to be the right ones when instead they are for a different car. So I went and ordered a rebuild by Bosch e36 Bosch starter from the local BMW shop, thinking this must be the safest route to eliminate that issue. But unfortunately, grinding is all this one does too.
I measured distances from mounting points of starter to flywheel front and back, see pics. Also measured the starter opening with gear. It seems that they are where they should be? Also measured voltages at starter - big post reads 12.8V, and middle size post with black/yellow wire reads 12.6V when I turn the ignition key. Smallest post has black/green wire attached, which I understand is the unloader wire, didn't measure voltage there.
The only thing I can think of now is that I placed the spacer (gaul plate) of the flywheel on the wrong side (at engine side instead of transmission side, see instruction pic), even though I am quite sure I followed the instructions and it was visible on the flywheel surface where it had been installed before. But then it was a long and cold day that day...
If anybody has an idea where I went wrong or what I could do to get the starter to engage the flywheel, that would be great help! I'd hate to remove transmission and everything to find out that it was a bad fuse..
My dilemma is a starter that grinds on the flywheel but is not engaging it.
Here are the details:
Car is a '89 325i automatic. Pulled engine and transmission and swapped in a 96 M52 OBD1 with manual Getrag 260. Engine harness originally from a 93 525i and was in a 90 325i manual swap car that ran. Flywheel is UUC e34 M5. Talked with UUC and they confirmed any e36 starter is to be used with this combination.
First starter came with engine and had a bad solenoid, it did nothing, so I replaced it with a rebuild I got from Autozone (rebuild by Duralast Bosch e36 starter). This one did work but only made horrible grinding noises on the flywheel.
To ensure engine turns over and runs, we jump-started it down the road in second gear, car and engine run fine.
Next thought was it must probably be a bad bendix not pushing gear out, so Autozone exchanged for another rebuild Bosch e36 starter. This one did the exact same thing, just grinding on the flywheel.
Did more research and read in several posts that starters are occasionally being confused and thought to be the right ones when instead they are for a different car. So I went and ordered a rebuild by Bosch e36 Bosch starter from the local BMW shop, thinking this must be the safest route to eliminate that issue. But unfortunately, grinding is all this one does too.
I measured distances from mounting points of starter to flywheel front and back, see pics. Also measured the starter opening with gear. It seems that they are where they should be? Also measured voltages at starter - big post reads 12.8V, and middle size post with black/yellow wire reads 12.6V when I turn the ignition key. Smallest post has black/green wire attached, which I understand is the unloader wire, didn't measure voltage there.
The only thing I can think of now is that I placed the spacer (gaul plate) of the flywheel on the wrong side (at engine side instead of transmission side, see instruction pic), even though I am quite sure I followed the instructions and it was visible on the flywheel surface where it had been installed before. But then it was a long and cold day that day...
If anybody has an idea where I went wrong or what I could do to get the starter to engage the flywheel, that would be great help! I'd hate to remove transmission and everything to find out that it was a bad fuse..
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