Strange sound

[markiemyster]

Christmas eve day was pretty nice up here in MA so I thought while I had an hour to spare I would go for a quick ride.
The car hadn't been started in a week or so but it started reasonably quick.
After it started I noticed it was making a funny noise. I tried to isolate it but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. First I thought it was near the bell housing then maybe up near the PS pump, then the valve cover .....etc...
It was a different sound almost like a tinny sound. Heat shield maybe ? But didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I thought maybe something was hitting the fan but saw nothing. I realy couldn't spend much time investigating so I went around the block to see if anything changed and it was the same no matter what speed I drove or what gear it was in.
Well it was getting close to family time so I put it away.
Monday I went out to check it out again and it wouldn't start. The battery is OK because the radio played and the clock was working and when I tried to start it it was making the sound a bad starter makes.
Is it possable that the starter was making that tinny noise I heard just before it died or do you think I have two different problems?
This is the first time the starter ever gave me a hint of a problem. It always started fine.
My car does not have the 327 original motor it has a 350 cid.
Any thoughts welcome.

Happy New Year, Mark

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Yes it does sound related. In fact, I would bet that your Solonoid stuck, and the bendix gear on the starter shaft stuck out when you started it and remained out when you shut it off. That would keep the solonoid from returning back to the home position. This would prevent the starter plates from contacting inside the starter. Explaining both the noise and the subsequent failure to start.
A little grease on the bendix gear spline will free it up.
You may want to pull the starter and clean up the brush contacts, burnish the commutators and lube the solonoid bushings. It's easy.

 

[markiemyster]

Thanks Pete.
I'll check it out. I hope your right and they are both the same cause.

Mark

 

[markiemyster]

Thanks Pete

Pete,
You were absolutly correct. I changed the starter today and it works like a charm.
I brought the old starter to Autozone and what a job finding the correct one.
My engine is a 1984 vintage 350 cid block with a Lakewood bell housing. The starter bolt patern is front to back where most I was told are top to bottom.
After about 20 minuted of operning box after box by the patient sales guy we found the correct starter. It was won for a 1969 chevy truck 396 cid.
The bellhousing is what screwed it up.
All's well that ends well.
Thanks again and happy new year to all.

Mark

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Glad to hear it. All's well that ends well!