Searched, found two remedies to my accumulating annoyance of my Spoon flywheel and USDM starter. But, I don't know which one is correct to become a grind-free start.

Are they the same? Should I just go cheaper and get a new USDM B16A starter rather than getting a used to hell JDM B18C one? I am under the impression that they are both made by Mitsuba, not Denso (the one that grinds).

I'm going on about 2 1/2 months since the grinding started, and I'm scared that the grinding will eventually grind down the teeth to the point where a Mitsuba starter would not make any difference, since both of the teeth will be screwed up. Will this happen? The grinding is about 3-4 starts now and increasingly louder when the engine actually starts, sounds like it's actually slapping teeth now. Basically, it doesn't sound like a natural, factory start up, sounds gritty sometimes. If it doesn't start, the grinding noise is about the same.

Now that I come to think about it, I really don't know if this is the same grind that everyone else is having, some claim to have a "spinning" noise, which I'm not sure if that's the same..

What should I do? Am I screwed for both the starter and flywheel?

Ugh..it's the biggest stress right now..and with finals coming up, I don't want to miss a test because my car won't start..

Thanks everybody..

 

Find somebody with a 99-00 Civic Si and swap starters....He'll get a cool Type-R VTaK part and you get a starter to solve your problems.

that is what I did before (and it solved the problem) before I got fed up with the Spoon flywheel in general and sold it for a CM unit...but that's another story.....

Forget the JDM 18C one (cuz you said it was beat to ****) since it is the same as the Mitsuba starter in the Si. In my eyes the Mitsuba is the BEST starter since it is compatible with USDM/JDM flywheels.

I used it with great success when I had my Spoon unit and it's still great with my CM fly now.

 

Thanks for the advice..bump one more time.