Having trouble with starting

[Jdunphy92]

Hey everyone, I got an 86 bronco ii 8 months ago, and after a few months the starter went out, and I went and got a remanufactured one from Napa because I didn't have a ton of funds to use at the time, and it seemed to last a little while, until the bottom mounting holes threads got torqued out, after replacing the threads via helicoil, and the starter holding firmly in place, I've found I get one beautiful start off a starter, then the starter would be dead, so I replaced everything I could, battery, positive and negative cables, starter cable, relay, and another new starter, after all of that, the bronco started beautifully again, no trouble, and started right up on the first go, now the second start up had a small grinding too it, I adjusted the starter slightly, it started up again beautiful, and then on the fourth start, the starter ground hard, and it now seems like the starter won't fire forward, so I replaced it, and same thing, few starts, then dead in the water, I'm kinda lost, and would appreciate any help at all.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have had problems with starters too. I have never definitively figured out the cause. Some possibilities I've read about;
-the over running clutch drive [bendix] number of teeth are wrong. Apparently there is a 9 tooth and 10 tooth, or maybe it's 10 tooth and 11 tooth. Anyway fine the one you don't have and swap it into your starter.
-the plate between engine and trans isn't holding the starter in the correct position. There is a difference between auto and manual. Take a close look at the hole and make sure it isn't wallered out.

 

[Jdunphy92]

I appreciated the help she, I had to replace both bolts due to the last person not exactly knowing what grade 8 or the difference of course or fine thread was, but the hole seems to be near mint shape, and I haven't spun the flywheel due to not having a wrench of appropriate size, but the teeth I can see on the flywheel seem to be in just about as tip top shape as they could be in, now I didn't know about this whole starter thing, haven't the different number of teeth and all, and with Napa having generic style parts, it may be overlooked in their item identification and serviceability standards due to the vehicles age as well, I'll do some looking, see what I can't figures out for the numbers of teeth on the bindex, and see the other amount of teeth on a bindex and get the other one swapped in there, see where that gets me, I do appreciate the help, I wanna keep this old gal running, she sat for a solid 10+ years so I've had to redo a large amount of the electricals on her, but the odometer isn't ticked and hasn't been replaced, so unless someone bothered to do the work of a perfect reset she's sitting at 47k on the engine, besides this starter issue she's got herself a leaky rear main, which will be fixed after the breakup season here in the great white North, and the transfer case shift motor needs replacing, but I can't find much beyond rust wrong with her after that's, I'll be sure to post any updates I do finds, thank you again.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

To be clear, the hole size is ~ 3 to 4 inch. The starter should slide in but not move side to side or up and down while in the hole.

 

[Jdunphy92]

Oh for certain, I'd even dare say it may be 4 1/4 at Max, but yes that would be the approximate hole size.

 

[whtknght]

-the over running clutch drive [bendix] number of teeth are wrong. Apparently there is a 9 tooth and 10 tooth, or maybe it's 10 tooth and 11 tooth. Anyway fine the one you don't have and swap it into your starter.

The teeth issue could be why the previous owner of my B2 told me it was going through starters.