I've noticed that the starter on my beater 4-door doesn't engage occasionally. I'll turn the key and the starter spins, but it doesn't engage. The thing that is really odd about it is when I try it a few seconds later it always engages, keep in mind the car has no moved at all during this time, so it's not like I had it in gear and rotated the flywheel as it rolled back. At first I was thinking that the teeth on my flywheel are totally gone and the starter just spins (I've seen that a few times), but that wouldn't make sense because if you hit the key a second time, it engages fine every time. So now, I'm leaning towards it just being a bad starter that doesn't fully extend into the flywheel every time, you guys agree with that? My second question is what flywheel came stock on a 1976 4 door mav, the 157 tooth or the 164 tooth flywheel? If my flywheel does indeed turn out to be bad, what would be the cheapest way of getting a new one? Thanks. -Neil
I am pretty sure it's the starter as well. As you say it's probably not extending all the way. I have seen this happen quite commonly on cars, tractors, etc. When they wear out it happens pretty regularly. The flexplate doesn't move during your first and second tries, so as you said, the teeth are there because it engauges on the 2nd try. All Mav autos came with 157 tooth 28oz balance flexplates. The 164 tooth are for bigger bellhousings like on the AOD, and will not fit in the smaller 157 tooth bellhousings. I don't think your flexplate is bad, but if it turns out to be you can easily buy one new, or someone can hook you up with a used one. (I have a good one from my original 73 302 if it turns out you need one anyway.) -Corbin
Matts '77 maverick with a stock 302/C4 had a 164 tooth flexplate. Mavman427, what engin/tranny is in you`r mav? If you have a 302 it could have a 157 or 164 tooth flexplate (prolly a 157 tooth) , if its a 250 it will have a 157 tooth , I don`t know what size flexplates came on the 200s:confused: . Any way as Corbin Johnson said it prolly isn`t the flexplate , its prolly just the starter .
Remove the starter, take the cone off, clean and slightly grease the bendix and starter shaft. Because the car sat up the shaft and bendix is probably rusty and now allowing the the gear to slide back.
