bman602

First of all this site has been fantastic for answering so many questions, so thanks to everybody who contributes to it! Anyways last week I swaped the old tired 85 engine with a rebuilt 90. Apart from taking a bit more time than I wanted, everything went smoothly. Engine started first go, but was a bit noisy, thought the fan was a little loose. Ran it for awhile, then test drove around the lot with no problems. Went to drive it home from work (where I did the swap) and stopped to get gas. When I went to start it up again - nothing but wrrr wrrr. Had the wife tow me back to the shop, then pulled the little wire and rigged up a direct to battery wire for testing. Still wrrr wrrr, so got a rebuilt starter, installed it, and started it with the direct to battery small wire. Still a little loud, but better, so drove home with no problems. Go to leave the next day, nothing but wrrr wrrr. So pull the starter and return to place I bought it from - dude repairs the starter for free but says you should check your ignition system as the starter seems to be staying engaged (the drive spun both ways). Tell him I am going direct off the battery, and he says thats strange for a toyota. Install new starter, then do what I should have done in the first place and carefully pinpoint where noise is coming from. Its the starter alright, so go retighten torque converter bolts, check fly wheel teeth, and everything checks out. I don't know what to do next, any ideas or solutions would be greatly appreciated.

slow-mo

After doing some research to determine that the same part number for the starter covers both the 1985 truck and the 1990 truck whether it be an automatic transmission or manual transmission.

So that being said, besides a mechanical failure of the return spring inside the starter that would prevent the pinion gear from retracting off the gear of the flex plate, check to see if battery voltage is still being applied on the starter solenoid connector when the ignition key is switched from the START position to the the ON or RUN position. That can be checked with a multimeter.

If battery voltage is still being applied somehow to the starter solenoid, then the starter will remain engaged.

rokblok

iTrader: (1)

Is there a possibility of different diameter flywheel/flex plate between the different years? Possibly a slight bell-housing variance where the starter mounts, to accommodate some difference in the engine block or emissions equipment? I'm just throwing out ideas, not real certain of any definitive causes, since you said you have replaced your starter already.

bman602

Sorry for the delay posting, busy weekend. Slo-mo, already by passed the ignition to make sure that was not the cause, going direct off the battery. Well took the starter off again and the teeth are definitely not meshing together. Starter teeth are galled up, flex plate looks ok though and does not seem to bent or warped. Also the more I thought about it, if the drive line was misaligned I most likely would have felt it at 110km/70mph on my drive home and the ride was as smooth as it gets in this truck. So back with the rebuilt and start the process over again, but buck up and get a new toyota starter. The only bonus to this, is now can install and remove a starter in a 22re in less than 5 min blindfolded.

swampfox

If the wrong length bolt was installed in the clutch and pressure plate, where it bolts to the flywheel, it will push the ring gear out of alignment. I had this happen to me when my bolts got mixed together and I didn't notice.

bman602

Well before I dropped money on a new starter, got my old one redone and am going to try that. Bolt length makes sense and am going to recheck, and retourqe everything down there. Let you know how it plays out.

bman602

Well I hope I found the culprit. Put in the new/old starter and although it was much less noisy, could still hear it was not quite right. So checked the torque convertor bolts and lo and behold one was not the same. Not much of a difference but I think (and hope) enough to cause an alignment issue with the flex plate. So tomorrow pick up the proper bolt and reinstall and pray that this is the issue.

bman602

also to doubly sure, are all the torque convertor bolts the same?

bman602

And dummy of the year goes to: me! Dropped the transmission this weekend and sure enough had installed the flexplate spacers wrong. Instead of thin, plate, thick, I had thin, thick, plate. While I feel very stupid, at least the problem is corrected and all drive parts got a good cleaning and antiseize where needed.