1. Home
  2. Toyota Camry
  3. 87 Camry grinding noise when starting

87 Camry grinding noise when starting

My 87 Camry has the grinding noise sometimes when I try to start it. It does this maybe once ever 2 months or so. I have read the posts on this news group about the problem and I understand what is happening. (I.E. starter motor gear teeth not tapered and not engaging with the flywheel. Eventually teeth get worn on flywheel and starter motor gear.) My question is if I replace the starter motor now (with the tapered gear version) will this prevent the problem from getting any worse? Or do I just leave it as is until it gets really bad then replace the starter motor and flywheel? It isn't really a problem at this point but if I could prevent it from getting worse I would do that.

Andy Arhelger

Reply to
Andy Arhelger
Loading thread data ...

I waited on mine till it got very very bad. Which took two years .( YMMV ) I replaced mine the same time when i took out the transmissions.

When it got really bad i have to get out of the car and rocked the car back and forth couple times till the flywheel engaged. Really it is not a flywheel rather it lookslike a big ring with gears around it . and it is bolted to flywheel . I forgot what it is called.

Sofjan Mustopoh

Reply to
Sofjan

Andy, You don't want to continue spinning the starter gear against the flywheel gear un-engaged. It will chew up the flywheel gear until it has to be replaced, requiring pulling the transaxle assembly to r&r. If it's only made the grinding noise a couple or just a few times, chances are the flywheel gear is still good and if you change the starter now it will solve your problems.

Reply to
davidj92

We waited on our 88 Camry (until it was taking about 10 times to start)...it ended up costing about $700 to get fixed (starter, flywheel, labor, etc).

-

-- Curtis Newton snipped-for-privacy@remove-me.akaMail.com

formatting link

ICQ: 4899169

Reply to
Curtis Newton

Like the other posters said, if you wait the flywheel will have to be replaced also. Big $ for labor. I'd replace the starter now. Looking at my '93 camry manual it looks like you may even get away with just cleaning then using some WD or grease as appropriate. There is something called the starter clutch that rides on a shaft. FWIW YMMV

Reply to
D F Bonnett

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.