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erratic starter[700/1987] posted by bob terry on
Friday, 23 October 1998, at 12:39 a.m.
For the past 5 or 6 years the starter sporadically fails to engage and makes a terrible screeching noise. It use to happen about once every twenty starts, but lately it is happening about once every four or five starts. I`d like to nip this problem in the the bud before it dies on me. Any ideas!
Re: erratic starter[700/1987] posted by Ive K. on
Friday, 23 October 1998, at 9:08 a.m.
Take the starter out and examine it.
Chances are the "throw out" gear is shot.
I hope for your sake, the flywheel gear is o.k. (PITA to replace).
Take a trip to your local bone yard for parts.
There are many older VOLVOs there.
Re: erratic starter[700/1987] posted by don weaver on
Friday, 23 October 1998, at 9:09 a.m.
Bob, the ring gear on the flywheel has some teeth ground down
at the most common place for the engine to stop when it is shut
off. For sure you need to replace the flywheel and the longer
you wait the more likely you will also need to replace the
starter.
Don
Re: erratic starter[700/1987] posted by Burton on
Friday, 23 October 1998, at 4:12 p.m.
...or the reverse. My starter (at about 230k miles) had worn the tapered ends off the starter output gear. I had worn completely flat, and therefore was engaging the flywheel only by chance. This can be very damaging to the flywheel if not repaired ( I replaced the starter).
Re: erratic starter[700/1987] posted by Don Foster on
Saturday, 24 October 1998, at 7:53 a.m.
Bob --
I'd agree with the advice from both Ive and Don. The teeth on the starter drive gear didn't engage completely with the ring gear, and they began to wear on each other (sorta liked married couples.....).
The starter drive gear should be a separate item -- you shouldn't need a whole new starter motor.
A new ring gear from Volvo is going to cost a zillion dollars. However, if your car's an automatic, I know a good ring and flex plate from an older car will fit. I helped install one from a '72 140 in an '87 740 turbo -- fit perfectly, worked perfectly, cost nothing.
An old trick is to re-install a worn ring gear one bolt out of sequence. Because an engine always stops at one (of several) fixed locations, the worn spot ends up at a fixed spot. By rotating the ring gear slightly (wrt the crank) you can offset the worn spot and never be bothered again. Unfortunately, I don't think it's easy to do on a Volvo..... but check on it.
One final comment -- if you must pull the transmission to change the ring gear, be sure to install a new rear main seal at the same time. Even if yours is not leaking, the small extra expense is worth the peace of mind. Those seals usually start normal leakage at about 150k - 200k miles -- grab the opportunity to preempt another expensive headache.
--Saturday, 24 October 1998, at 8:50 a.m.
Bob --
Sorry -- I was wrong -- let me amend my last post. The used ring gear put into the '87 turbo was from a 1974 144 automatic, NOT a '72. The cranks in the B20E (last year '73) had a 6-bolt flange, and starting in '74 (B20F) Volvo went to an 8-bolt design.