Twice on the trip the starter did not engage. No grinding 1994 K3500 6.5 turbo diesel

[jrsavoie]

1994 K3500 6.5 turbo diesel

Twice on the trip the starter did not engage. No grinding. It sounded like it spun fine but the gear never flew out.

I've had this before on starters that eventually gave up the ghost. Sometimes as long as 2 years.

It has started 5 times in a row now with no issues. Has anybody had this and had the starter last any reasonable amount of time.

 

[trouttrooper]

Your asking for trouble........... Change it ASAP

 

[JMJNet]

Sounds like a starter giving up or the cable going to starter giving up or the batteries giving up.

 

[WarWagon]

Your asking for trouble........... Change it ASAP

X2 couldn't have said it better. May I suggest a Powermaster now? :hihi: I feel your budget pain for parts!

Seriously the solenoid is pulling in, the drive is binding up so the gear doesn't hit the flywheel, and the spring is compressing allowing the contacts to close and spin the motor unloaded. The motor can come apart from overspeed, copper bars come loose and trash brushes, I have seen it. It may bind and never pull in to the flywheel. Likely the shaft the gear rides on is worn or bent causing a bind.

 

[jrsavoie]

I have 2 spares sitting on the shelf. So I won't be going with a Powermaster on anything for a while. I hope

I can't help but wonder if something didn't get in to bind the gear when we swapped the transmission just a few hundred miles before this happened