3.0 grinding starter

[RyanW1985]

2003 volvo 3.0 (gm block). Has 14"flywheel staggered starter holes, fwd brace installed. Hydrolocked motor and blow head gasket. Didn't get to fix ASAP because truck broke down pulling boat home. Finally tried to fix boat, sent head in to get reworked w/ new valves and decked, reinstalled everything and went to fire and starter ground. Pulled plugs and it cranks fine every time. Did compression test and can only get 1 rotation on #1 and #4 cyls @60 psi before starter grinds, so incomplete compression test but holding pressure. Middle 2 art at 130 and don't cause starter to grind. Put middle 2 plugs in to see if I could get engine to at least stumble and cranks fine. Only grinds if plug or compression gauge on # 1 or #4 cyl. Rockers all cycling.

 

[RyanW1985]

More back history is boat was ran in saltwater prior to my purchase, a sham boat yard was given boat to sell (supposedly ran great before they got it) I know prev owner. I got boat w/blown headgasket w/ broken head bolt and did the head last year and I put new riser and manifold on it. Boat originally ran on 2 cyls but would die under load. After head was fixed ran great until water ingestion that took it out gasket again so got head redone for a 2nd time. Since I got the boat has been freshwater only.

 

[alldodge]

My first thought is you need a new starter.
The solenoid may not be pulling the starter in all the way, but since this was also the starter during hydrolock, it could also have been damaged

So you did nothing to the block, only the heads?
Can you turn the motor over by hand without the plugs in?

 

[RyanW1985]

Sorry,got a new sierra starter I put in Friday, and still have the GM starter from hydrolock. I can't spin by hand necessarily because of the waterpump coming off the crank pully, can spin by prybar on flywheel and by prop with it in gear. With plugs out or even middle 2 in can crank w/starter too which has me confused. Also nothing done to block.

Only things done this breakdown are starter change, head job (new push rods bent 1 w/ hydro lock, new rockers, new valves, planned head, new head gasket) and oil change. Previous breakdown was when it was bought and did head, head gasket, new head bolts, manifold and exhaust riser, thermostat ( was missing), oil change and water pumps and

 

[Lightwin 3]

Do you know that you do not have a problem deeper in the engine? Bent rod perhaps?

 

[RyanW1985]

Didn't tear into bottom end, pistons appeared to be hitting witness Mark's from previous travel and measured same distances with depth mic

 

[alldodge]

The engine circulating water pump should not keep the motor from turning. Now if you have a raw water pump that is belt briven, disconnect the belt. Remove the drive and see if you can crank it over by hand (not with a crow bar) with plugs out

 

[RyanW1985]

Got boat running, when I got it the inside bolt hole for starter was stripped and prev. owner had regular bolt and nut in place(through hole). I repaired with helicoil but evidently had it too long and bolt wasn't seating right, used oem bolts and was running into helicoil better, now it grinds about every other attempt to start. Looks like I will have to redo helicoil and should be fine. Now off to fix other minor problems like carb not opening all the way, getting bracket for throttle cable re bent right or replaced to get proper throttle arm use and finding missing valve cover bolt and hose clamp that fell into bilge.

alldodge, that pump on my motor is freaking ridiculous, I don't get why they didn't have a separate housing. Instead it floats on end of crank with hoses and a bracket holding housing still.

 

[alldodge]

The crack pumps used on VP normally have a bracket going from the pump to the block. Sounds like yours is missing

now it grinds about every other attempt to start.

This may not be the bolt, it might have a bad spot on the flywheel

 

[RyanW1985]

I am thinking it is just getting starter positioned right. When its grinding it is high pitched really fast like bendix isn't fully engaging. I shimmied outer ear and grind changed but fired almost instantly and bendix was hanging up, pulled shim then started playing with the bolts and realised helicoil issue. Boat sat a while after breakdown because of truck breaking down (not a dodge) and layoffs at work once I fixed truck so was watching budget for a worst case senario.

good news is I have some path that is making sense and now can work fixing other problems to try smoothing everything out

 

[kenny nunez]

The best way to repair the starter problem is to pull the engine, remove the flywheel cover , coupling and flywheel, the ring gear by now is probably chewed up. Flip the engine on an engine stand and square up the starter using the one good bolt and with a drill guide with the starter in position and a good drill bit clean out the damaged hole then a helicoil can be installed. If the hole is really trashed and some threads are still present screw a bolt into the hole with some Loctite then cut it off at the block surface and smooth it out. Now remount the starter and redrill the hole with the correct bit for the 3/8”-16 tap and a centering sleeve. Then rethread the hole. Get a new ring gear from NAPA heat it up and drop it on the flywheel.

 

[RyanW1985]

Kenny, ring gear still looks to be in pretty good shape. I don't want to pull block because of needing an overhead crane or rigging something up with cherry picker in bed of my truck because of how high it is, and with the boat having been in saltwater and some neglect from prev. Owner so dealing with rusted bolts and such. Just wanting a few years out of this so fighting to get the alignment and works better each attempt.

 

[RyanW1985]

Used OEM GM bolts and works like a champ. 1 issue that just came up is the nut for stud to attach to tailshaft bracket fell off (almost 100%positive I had it tight) and I cannot find it in the bilge. I don't want to pull starter again to get nut size and forgot to grab my old starter. Anyone happen to know the size of it so I can get one on my way out in the AM?

 

[alldodge]

Not sure on VP but on a Merc its a 10-24

 

[kenny nunez]

If your starter is one of the small gear drive models the nut could be metric and you will have to get a few different sizes and experiment, or if it is the early large style it could also be 1/4” 20.

 

[RyanW1985]

Thank you both, searched auto forums and saw the 1/4 20 and an M8 (I forget exact size) and got the 10 24, sure enough it was 10 24 (alldodge was only I saw claim that), better to have a general idea instead of buying 1/4 of the stores HW section. Fires up like a champ. Now it's running on hose to prove, head and establish confidence since most of my trips have left me stranded. How long do you recommend (time on/off and number of times to run it)and anything to watch for other than temps, rpm, knock and reading plugs pre/post run?