[Untamed]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

I think you should be able to pull that cover off w/o much trouble. Maybe get it in the air, pull the coil wire and have someone crank it while you look from underneath.

What is it doing, you hear the starter spinning?

Before I removed the starter this past weekend, I would hear the starter spin when turning the key. I could hear it spool, but it wasn't grabbing the flywheel.

I removed the starter this past weekend, took it to autozone to test. They say the starter is fine. I put the starter back into place, hook everything back up, turn the key, and now get nothing. I -believe- I replaced all the wiring correctly, however the lack of any starter activity now calls that into question.

Assuming I have the wiring right, I want to try another starter to see if mine is the problem. If I borrow a starter that is known to work fine and nothing happens, I need to fix the wiring first.

In either case, I want to make sure the next starter I mount in there, will line up with the flywheel correctly. So pulling the plastic shroud seems like the best way to visibly inspect the mechanical interaction while someone else turns the key. However that shroud looks like its overlapped by the trans pan. I really dont want to drain the trans if I can help it.

In addition to all that, I guess I need a shim kit to make sure everything lines up correctly. I have never shimmed a starter before so can't imagine how to do that right now, other than shoving something between the starter and block, near the two bolts. Is that the right place?

This project is taking far longer, and more energy, than expected. Damn this car hobby! <shakes fist> Learning as I go is slowing things way down as well.