Ricey McRicerton

Here we go.

In my 97 hatch I replaced my tranny, clutch, and had my flywheel resurfaced. Now my car won't start.

The tranny is off of a 99 EX. I'm using the starter from my 97 DX hatch, which has the same part no. as the starter off of the 99 EX. With the starter not bolted to the tranny, I've hooked up all the connections, grounded the starter to the car with a jumper cable, and the starter does poke out the gear on the end, and it spins, like it should be. When I attach it to the tranny, all I hear is the gear spinning. The flywheel and clutch spin freely. I don't understand why the starter gear would not be reacing the ring gear on the tranny to spin it and start my car. Somebody help.

Ricey McRicerton

I'm using my original (97 dx) flywheel, ring gear, and starter. I'm using a Exedy Organic Clutch meant for a 97 DX.

I'm using the 99 EX full transmission.

Luserkid

What do you mean your flywheel and clutch are spinning freely? Like you could move them by hand or something?

Is your tranny properly seated? What about the Starter is that properly seated with the bolt down all the way and no gaps that you could see on the tranny to starter?

That starter should be long enough to reach the flywheel no problem.

Ricey McRicerton

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What do you mean your flywheel and clutch are spinning freely? Like you could move them by hand or something?

Is your tranny properly seated? What about the Starter is that properly seated with the bolt down all the way and no gaps that you could see on the tranny to starter?

That starter should be long enough to reach the flywheel no problem. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I mean that when I bolted the pressure plate to the flywheel it was spinning freely.

Yes the tranny is properly seated. It's all the way on the shaft and completely bolted to the block. The starter is completely seated to the tranny.

Shouldn't the starter at least hit the flywheel, and it if it was bound, at least make a bunch of grinding noises?

postman

the teeth on the starter should smoothley go into grooves of flywheel. the starter cranks the flywheel. i would take the starters and measure he shafts to see if there the same length

Ricey McRicerton

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by postman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the teeth on the starter should smoothley go into grooves of flywheel. the starter cranks the flywheel. i would take the starters and measure he shafts to see if there the same length</TD></TR></TABLE>

Already done it. It seems like they should be touching.

With the starter not engaged (the shaft still "in") I have about 1 1/4 inch of the shaft out. It's about 1 1/2 inch to the edge of the flywheel. When the flywheel is engaged (the shaft "out") it sticks out more than far enough to grab the teeth on the flywheel and turn it.

Ricey McRicerton

I'm completely out of ideas. I'm going to push start the car tomorrow and see if that will let it run.

I'm also buying a new starter tomorrow.

Somebody reassure me that I'm not crazy on this.

1. If I put the car in gear, rolled it a bit, and then tried it agian, it wouldn't
help. You don't have to roll your car in gear to get the starter and ring gear to match up any other time.

2. There is no possible way for me to have put the flywheel in wrong. There are no index marks on it or anything as long as you get the pressure plate bolted down to it. There is no possible way to bolt it in backwards.

poison

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ricey McRicerton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Somebody reassure me that I'm not crazy on this.

1. If I put the car in gear, rolled it a bit, and then tried it agian, it wouldn't
help. You don't have to roll your car in gear to get the starter and ring gear to match up any other time.

2. There is no possible way for me to have put the flywheel in wrong. There are no index marks on it or anything as long as you get the pressure plate bolted down to it. There is no possible way to bolt it in backwards.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn Sean, crazy probs huh?

1. No, it doesn't matter where it is. The starter should always mate with the flywheel regardless of where the car is, in gear or not.

2. No, there is no possible way of putting in wrong other than obvious reasons. If it's bolted to the crank, and the clutch surface of the flywheel is showing, you're fine.

Ricey McRicerton

Yeah man, crazy problems. The pressure plate looks to be very close to the tranny housing, but I've measured everything I can think of that it could be hitting. The pressure plates are both about an inch tall at their tallest points that could be contacting the tranny housing (on the old and new pressure plates).

Thanks for the vote of confidence. My biggest fear is that this things going to have to come out. Agian..

poison

Have you done a runout check on the engine? Rotating the crank and looking inside of the tranny clutch housing to make sure there is nothing inside of the area?

Measure the distance from the starter mounting point of the tranny to the end part of the flywheel gear.

Then measure the mounting point of the starter to the very gear end point of the starter spindle. Compare the results.

Ricey McRicerton

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by poison &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Have you done a runout check on the engine? Rotating the crank and looking inside of the tranny clutch housing to make sure there is nothing inside of the area?

Measure the distance from the starter mounting point of the tranny to the end part of the flywheel gear.

Then measure the mounting point of the starter to the very gear end point of the starter spindle. Compare the results.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yessir. I've measured from the end of the starter to the end of the ring gear (kind of what I was trying to explain up above there) and compared it to the distance from the mating surface on the starter to the beginning of the teeth. I've measured the tranny housings to make sure that the DX housing is thicker than the EX. The Y8 and Y7 starters have the same part numbers. I even tried using some of my little neices play-doh to stab on the end of the shaft and see where the ring gear was in relation to the end of the starter spindle, but play-doh doesn't make very good makeshift plastigauge.

I've put the car in gear and pushed it a bit with the starter out, and it doesn't look like anything it hitting the tranny housing or stopping the flywheel from moving.

poison

Oh boy, using play-doh as some plastigauge. lol

So there is no contact at all?

What are the exact differences between the Y8 and Y7 trannies?

If the starter is extending out and spinning, I doubt there is anything wrong with it. And if they are the same part number, that may not fix the issue.

Ricey McRicerton

Exact differences from the y7 to y8 tranny is just the gearing as far as I know. That's why I'm going to the y8 tranny, but as long as the cases aren't different, the flywheel didn't change and I don't understand what the hell else could be wrong.

I've had my father look over it with me to make sure I'm not missing something small (tranny grounds or anything like that) and I've looked at the Helms for no less than an hour.

I'm stumped. I have no more ideas to throw at it, so now I'm going to start tossing money at the problem.

poison

Probably the starter...

Ricey McRicerton

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by poison &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Probably the starter... </TD></TR></TABLE>
for the reassurance. This has been a solid 2 weekend project for me, and I'm burnt out from work and everything else going on.

Thanks a ton Brandon. I'll let you know how it goes if Autozone has a starter anywhere around here.

Luserkid

Get it tested before you buy a new one. Because i have put y7 starters on y8 trannies plenty of times. Im thinking the shaft is just freezing up somewhere. Check with autozone if its good.

Another thing you could do is like claying for a motor. Clay your starter. Put some clay or something that will stay on there good but come off if it hits another place, like dried chewed gum (hey work with what you got right ) Crank it, pull out the starter, rotate the flywheel and see if you see it anywhere. If its not on there and still 100% on the starter then you know the shaft isnt coming out all the way, try to get it rebuilt (saves you money over 200 from autozone).

BauleyCivic

Your vtech fluid is low...that should fix it.

YA RLY

Ricey McRicerton

Damnit. There is no starter anywhere locally at the Autozones around here.

Is there anyone in the Raleigh area with an extra D series manual 96-00 Starter that they're willing to let me try out?

Ricey McRicerton

Welp, my starter should be in Wednesday morning.

Here's another question. The starter has a clutch in it correct? If this is correct, could the clutch have enough grab left in it to spin the end shaft without it being attached to anything, but not enough to spin the flywheel?

Ricey McRicerton

Changed the starter and it started right up.

1. I love the Exedy organic clutch. It's super grabby and kicks major ***.
2. I love the EX tranny. It's so damn short compared to the y7.

poison

awesome!