I've suddenly started having starter problems.
What happens is when you turn the key, the starter spins, but the gear does not engage, it just grinds on the ends of the gear teeth, chewing up the starter gear. This only happens now and then, not all the time. Most of the time it starts fine. But just a few times grinding, ruins the starter gear teeth. The teeth on the flywheel look okay so far.
What could be the problem? They won't warrantee many more starters!
The Dodge dealer diesel mechanic told me it might be the "flywheel out of balance" which sounds like BS to me!

-Del

 

Try a better starter?

I would look at where the starter was bought, when I bought Greenie, I thought I had a flywheel tooth problem, turned out it was the AutoZone starter.

Put a lifetime on from Napa, no issues since.

I also saw just the starter bendix for sale, a good one might last in your old starter.

One thing for sure, that "mechanic" is well suited to be a Florist......

 

check the voltage to the starter and the connections from the battery and to the starter. . . sounds like maybe it sometimes is not getting enough voltage to the starter solenoid to mesh the starter gear to the flywheel. I also highly doubt the flywheel is out of balance. Maybe a bad ground on the starter circuit or even try checking your battery voltage.

 

The original starter started doing this suddenly. It could be a ground or the cable of course, though they look okay. I had a NAPA in there, and now this one is Autozone. I don't believe its any problem with the flywheel. You would see telltale signs of galling in areas of the big gear in that case I would think. It seems to me its just not slamming in there hard enough, which is likely electrical. I'll try to get voltage measurements. You don't get much time to measure before it starts of course most of the time.
I'm thinking grounding may be the problem. It bolts to the engine, but I did not look to make sure the ground to the engine is intact. I'm not sure I know where the engine ground is? I assume there is at least one big strap or cable somewhere across the motor mounts.
Thanks, guys, good ideas.