Starter stuck in flywheel!
 

Last week my REX would not start. I thought it may have been the battery because all of the signs pointed to that. I went out and bought a new battery and stuck it in the REX. The damn car still would not start. I sat there for an hour and a half trying to figure this shit out. Come to find out that the starter gear was stuck onto the flywheel! Has anyone experienced this one yet??

Ouch. Any damage done? I ahve not personally heard of this, but I can imagine it. Man, that does not sound fun...

how do you know the starter was stuck on the flywheel? seems like that would be preaty hard to see.

It really didnt cause any damage at all. I thought that I was going to have to replace my flywheel but once we got the starter off, everything looked good.

As for finding out what the problem was. We could'nt physically see the starter but we did a test by getting the car started (popped the clutch) and once we had the REX started I turned the key while the car was running. Instead of making a loud grinding noise the car accelerated. Turning the key acted like the throttle. I was shocked!! Neither I or my friend had ever seen anything like that before.

I'm not sure if you know that the starter has (or had) an internal reduction gear.

I wasnt about to go into the inner parts of the starter, I just figured to replace it since it had about 140,000 miles on it. But is that what causes the starter to do that?

I have never heard of this, so good luck in finding an answer!

The starter gear has to engage/disengage the flywheel when you turn the key. Its not in continuous mesh like gears in a tranny . there is a lever in the starter very similar to a throwout bearing arm actuated by the slave cylinder. (cant remember the name...clutch arm?) But the difference is, the starter gear is engaged by electromagnetism. Sometimes the magnets do not return to their original positions, thus the starter gear is held in the engaged position, and the POS is broke.

Sorry for the half-assed stoner explanation. :smoker:

There is only one magnet in the rx-7 starter, which is electromagnetic. When it becomes electrified by the solenoid connecting the hot and the ground leads the magnet pulls a cylinder inside the starter against the force of a spring and then pushes the actuater arm which in turn engages the gear to the flywheel and starts the car. The only reason I could see that a rx-7 starter would stay engaged is a faulty solenoid which is in contact all the time or a damaged internal spring which does not have the force to push back the cylinder, or a broken actuator arm. In your situation I'm guessing the spring is no good, or the actuator arm broke; either way that is some stange shit. If your solenoid went bad the starter would either always have juice or never have juice.

Yeah, isnt that what I said?:D

Knew I shouldn't have gotten technical...

I just rebuilt my starter. I just felt like sharing a lil more in depth info on the subject. When I learn something new; I like to share it.