starter/flywheel/ring gear?

[ioneater]

Starter's been cranking unevenly and clunking during the start recently. Finally the gear just started to spin without engaging the flywheel so I grabbed a Duralast "lifetime warranty" starter from autozone on the way home. It starts again but after looking at the flywheel teeth that were showing during the starter swap I have a feeling I'll be replacing the starter again before too long. They look pretty rough so......qtec's hard parts show a ring gear that you can buy for the flywheel. The Hayne's manual doesn't go into that at all outside of removal/inspection/installation of a flywheel; is the ring gear actually something that I could do with simple tools? I have no shop vice or any info for that matter on how to fix/replace the ring gear. Thanks.

[edudley]

I must admit I have not done one on a 4.0 On many engines the ring gear is a press fit onto the flywheel. After removing the flywheel drive the old ring gear off with a drift. Put the new gear in the oven (when wife is not home) When the gear reaches 400 degrees grabit with hot pad and set it on the flywheel and tap it into place. When cool it is good to go.

[OhioYJ]

I think replacing the flywheel is easier. Especially as cheap as flywheels have gotten.

[ioneater]

Hmmm, I'll look up some flywheel prices. Ring gear is cheap 19-20$ it looks like.

[OhioYJ]

4.2 Flywheel (http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sgin0101.exe?T1=52027+003&UREQA=1&UREQB=2&UREQC=3&UREQD=4&FNM=00&UID=2006010322180801) is $65 here at Quadratec.

I've seen them a few dollars cheaper at the local part stores, but thats for a reconidtioned flywheel, not sure what Quadratec is selling (new/recond?)

[ioneater]

Wow, much less than I expected. Well, best get one coming from somewhere. Not looking forward to splitting everything to get to it but I just know one day soon there will be no teeth left on that ring gear :(

[OhioYJ]

Yeah it sucks to split that stuff, may think inspecting/possibly replacing the clutch while in there and a pilot bearing too...

Just a thought, as it always sucks dropping that stuff, not necessarily hard I guess, but it just seems like a lot of work.

[ioneater]

That is 1 thing the manual keeps repeating, that while in there replace what you can. Hey it's got 120,000 now so who knows what the rest of the stuff looks like. Clutch kit looks like 170-200$ for everything. Now for the motivation!

[OhioYJ]

And use the best grease money can buy on that pilot bearing, thats whole reason I had to take mine apart the first time, either it was the mileage, or I had washed out all the old grease, but it was making a horrible racket. Clutch looked alright, but I went ahead and did it anyway.

[SAR Jeeper]

Just picked mine up from the shop today..
$195 Luk clutch kit
$29.99 Flywheel ring gear
$30 various linkage parts (badly worn)

$325 removal/install labor
$25 turned flywheel.

I can hardly hear it start up now....nice. Was eating through starters about 1 every 6 months.