Hi guys and a very big welcome to you all to MY world........ (ok a slightly different slant I know ).

I'm semi - supporting a couple of mates with their Rangey problems and as such have lurked for a wee while and been very lucky in successfuly searching these forums and receiving answers from you kind geezers. This time it's not worked and I thought I'd register to place my post.

1988 petrol rangey think 3.8 or 3.9 litre so I guess you'll have an idea what model that is. Its basic - not a vogue. Thing is that he had a problem with starter beginning of Nov and took it to a garage (I was away). The guy replaced the starter motor with a recon unit. Last week this starter failed to engage the starter ring. He took it back to same garage who removed it and presented it to the supplier. They said they won't do anything about it warranty wise because "he must have an aircon leak which has made it rusty". Ok, now I'm back and brought into the story. Haven't seen the motor but from what he tells me there is a lot of rust around the bendix housing. I took a look into the bell housing and the ring gear looks well worn to me and also showing lots of evidence of rusty coloured slush. Its never been off road so where would this rust come from?

Next, what would you guys do about the ring gear? Should we replace the flywheel or the ring gear only (assuming it is replaceable).

Appreciate your kind advice.

PS - slob I don't live anywhere near girona either

Bump!

Somebody must have some ideas on this one????? Please?

The flywheel is quite hefty and solid so just replace the ring gear.As the bell housing and block are aluminium, they can't rust. Obviously water must have got into the bell housing somehow, maybe from a dodgy core plug at the end of the block if not from the lower bell housing cover which is not really water tight. To remove the flywheel you obviously either have to remove the engine or gearbox and when that is done, hopefully all will be revealed. Personally, I would remove the engine.

Ah, thanx for that rover. So there are core plugs on the aft face of the engine then? What a ridiculous place to locate them? Wouldn't you have thought the sides of the engine where their condition could be monitored might be a useful place to be?

air con leak;; thats a good one. the only possible place for water to exit the A/C system is via the evaporator drains which are located under the vehicle and not above the starter. you need to find another garage.


the reason engine have core plugs is because they form part of the casting process so the location of them is limited by whatever passage way they are blocking.

yer gonna have to wait till yer missus is out before yer replace the starter ring as you need to put the flywheel in the freezer and the ring in the oven.

contract the flwheel and expand the ring fer easy fitting.

to get it off just use a grinder and a chisel for the last bit so you don't accidently damage the flywheel

ps we must be neighbours then

ps. surely we must NOT be neighbours then........