Hello all, I have a '98 GMC Jimmy. When I bought it literally a couple weeks ago, it didn't start at all. You'd hear the starter grinding on the flexplate so I turned the crank and confirmed that the flexplate teeth were chewed up. Ran it for a week and kept a 16mm long ratchet in the center console for when I shut it off and it landed on a bad spot on the flexplate. After that, I set it down and took the drive shafts, transfer case, and transmission out. Went ahead and replaced the flex plate, made sure it was seated right and put it all back together (Next time I'll just drop a different motor in it haha)

The start it fired right up. Drove it a couple miles after letting the new fluids cycle and shut it off at a gas station. Filled her up and.... Free spinning starter. Jumped the starter off itself and it still didn't seem to engage. After playing around with it for a moment, I turned the ignition and it fired up.

I own another 98 Jimmy and I've never had the issue, and I'm not entirely sure what to try next. Fuses look good. Not sure if its a grounding issue or what. Any advice and/or suggestions are welcome.


New starter
New Flexplate
New wire terminal on starter wires




Update: So I went ahead and pulled the starter back off and it seems to have grinded both the flex plate and starter again.

 

Did you install the starter without checking for proper clearances? Sometimes, one needs to shim the starter to ensure complete engagement to the fly wheel.

 

It has the cover piece over the starter hole. I was told that was a shim. Is there a way to check or look at clearances?