Starter motor Q

[danzo]

After slapping in my new/used gearbox, I was looking forward to the inaugural "fire up and drive". The starter turned the motor over several times but the car didn't start since I suppose the ignition timing was too far off. It was late last night, so I decided to go to sleep and resume today. To my surprise the engine won't turn over at all even though nothing changed since the last time I cranked it. No noise at all from the starter. Schmacking it with a hammer (not the MC one, just a regular one) did nothing.

The starter is getting 12V on the big +/- wires. My question is how much voltage should the small starter wire get, i.e. the one from the ignition switch? Mine measures about 8 volts, but I can't find a spec in the FSM. I'd hate to buy a new starter if that's not the problem.

One more chunk o' info. When the starter was out for the gearbox replacement I took the liberty to degrease 'er (both starter and gearbox). Maybe this f'ed up the starter innards somehow? Anyone ever have this happen?

BTW I did mate up the gearbox/engine by myself on the garage floor without a floor jack. So yes - I am the man and I should be in detention.

Thanks for any and all help.

[takza]

Should be 12V? Just run a jumper wire from the batt to the solenoid...be sure it's out of gear...to bypass the ignit...need to just touch it like using the key.

Got my gearbox in just using a scissors jack and some wood blocks.

[danzo]

Thanks for posting takza. Problem solved/egg on face once again.

Yesterday morning I removed my starter after routing a jumper wire directly to the ignition port - nothing. My friends at Ho 'reilly's verified my starter motor was operational so I reinstalled it. I then noticed the green two pin plug from the distributor was unplugged. Damn it all, who would have thought that would prevent the starter from spinning?!?

Anyway I got the car running and am extremely pleased with my new-to-me gearbox. She shifts a little tough into 5th gear which is strange, but overall 80 bucks very well spent. Now that I have first gear I can put bigger wheels/skins on 'er.

I guess gear whine is expected on these cars? My new gearbox makes more noise than my lower mileage original one, but I was hoping it would be quiter. Has anyone heard a new/nearly new tranny? If they make noise no matter what, I can live with it. I am just trying to determine if I have some worn out bearings etc.

[takza]

I've driven 2 different trans..an '83 and an '84. Both tended to make gear noise. One test for trans wear is to start it up and let the clutch out in neutral...bearing noise then means worn main shaft bearings. Always a good idea to change the oil out?

[IHblarp]

I just drove my terc for the first time this weekend and it definitely had a trans whine to it. Supposedly it had been rebuilt within the last 50-60k so I was a bit surprised to hear it whine. But on that note the bell housing is cracked, presumably from the lack of a pilot bearing, and therefor reduced my confidence in the guy who "rebuilt" it.

I bought a jeep from a friends family who had it since the new, its trans whined like no other for as long as I could remember. It never gave me any problems, so trans whine does not always scream "doom!!!" in my mind. Maybe it should though.