Flywheel trick?

[podsquad]

Flywheel issues with 1998 Expedition. It seems the frequency of the dreaded noise is occurring with greater frequency, however, it seems I found a 'trick' in turning the ignition. I slowly turn the key to the point at which the brake light shows right before you get ignition. At this point I pause, then I get the starter to engage without any noise. It's more than a week now that I have been following this routine and it seems to be working. The noise frequency was occurring at least once a day sometimes more and sometimes I would get a a 2 or 3 consecutively. It seems to me maybe by following this procedure of turning the key slowly I'm not allowing a pin to fully engage. Any ideas?

 

[01yellerCobra]

What issues are you having?

 

[podsquad]

Intermittently when you turn the key you hear a screech. When I back off turning the key you can hear spinning. Sometimes when I turn the key a 2nd time it can re-occur. It seems now when I try to start the truck by turning the key to the point just shy of starting the '98 expedition 5.4..the screech doesn't occur.

 

[Kermit]

Sometimes when I start mine too fast it'll screech. I take it all the way to on, wait till I hear the fuel pump engage (makes a little thunk), then starts fine... Usually.. On the odd occasion it screeches twice in a row I'll run the shifter thru the gears, pause at neutral and take my foot of the break (hopefully it rolls a little) put it back in park a lil firmly to make sure the parking gear is fully engaged and starts perfectly.... Could swear I read somewhere on the forum, or some where, that sometimes they'll screech if the parking gear isn't fully engaged, sometimes because of a sloppy column shifter...

On a sperate note, a recent starting issue caused me to call the previous owner (he did a lot of work on it) and his wife says " having problems with that starter again "... So... my Bronco was squirrley like that too occasionally but never did end up having to replace the starter...

 

[01yellerCobra]

Had an issue like that with an old volkswagon. It liked to eat starters because it was high compression. The starter gear wouldn't extend and engage the flywheel completely. The only way to fix it was to replace the starter.

I'd pull the starter and check the flex plate teeth. If they're good get the starter tested. You can test it yourself with a battery and jumper cables too. I bet the great isn't always fully extending.

 

[podsquad]

Sometimes when I start mine too fast it'll screech. I take it all the way to on, wait till I hear the fuel pump engage (makes a little thunk), then starts fine... Usually.. On the odd occasion it screeches twice in a row I'll run the shifter thru the gears, pause at neutral and take my foot of the break (hopefully it rolls a little) put it back in park a lil firmly to make sure the parking gear is fully engaged and starts perfectly.... Could swear I read somewhere on the forum, or some where, that sometimes they'll screech if the parking gear isn't fully engaged, sometimes because of a sloppy column shifter...

On a sperate note, a recent starting issue caused me to call the previous owner (he did a lot of work on it) and his wife says " having problems with that starter again "... So... my Bronco was squirrley like that too occasionally but never did end up having to replace the starter...

"Sometimes when I start mine too fast it'll screech. I take it all the way to on, wait till I hear the fuel pump engage (makes a little thunk), then starts fine."

That's exactly what I do and it works every time without screeching.

 

[podsquad]

I was wondering if anyone had an explanation as to why the technique of turning the key to the point right before starting, pausing, then starting works. Is it because a starter gear has a chance, going slowly, to fully engage vs turning quickly it sometimes finds the bad spot on the flywheel and the starter doesn't have a chance to fully engage the flywheel.

 

[stamp11127]

The over running clutch / pinion gear on the starter is having issues. Once the starter solenoid sends power to the starter the shift mechanism forces the clutch & pinion gear towards the flywheel until it meshes. The over running clutch is spring loaded in the event the gears don't mesh. Once the starter starts turning the two normally will mesh correctly. Yours isn't therefore the screeching.
Or you have broken teeth on the flywheel.
Wouldn't hurt to pull the starter and bench test the shift mechanism operation.