1999 Ford Ranger 2.5l, 5 speed

[John Park]

Hey all, I am new here to the forums. I just purchased a 1999 Ford Ranger XLT 2.5, 5-speed manual, 2WD for $600. They said in the post that it was stuck in 3rd or 4th gear and has been parked for at least 1-2 months. When I got there to see the truck it seemed as though it was no longer stuck in gear; however, when I went to start the truck it sounded as though the starter was not engaging the flywheel properly. I pulled the starter and saw that the nose piece is completely broken off with starter shaft unsupported.

Any ideas what might have caused the starter to break like this? I hate to put a new starter on without determining the root cause of what made this one fail.

I assumed that the starter itself was just a cheap aftermarket piece that broke with the cold weather we have had this winter in Illinois. However, the previous owners mentioned that at some point a new flywheel was put on because the old one had a few broken teeth.

Could the starter possibly have broken due to an improperly installed flywheel/cracked flywheel or is it most likely that it simply broke due to being a cheap part? I have not had a chance to inspect the flywheel further just trying to wrap my head around this.

I appreciate any ideas, thanks!

 

[DeanMk]

First off, congrats on your new acquisition. I've got pretty much the same thing, but from the year before.
If you ever replace the clutch and get the pedal to work like its supposed to, PM me.
As for your question, was there any indication the starter had already been replaced?
Sometimes there's a legit reason for a problem, sometimes, they've just thrown all the worn out and broken parts into a "parts vehicle" and are trying to sell it off as one unit.
My suggestion is to get another starter from the parts store, throw it in there and see how it works out.
If that one breaks the same way this one did, ok, you got a legit problem now. Chances are pretty good (well, about 50/50 anyway) it'll be fine.


Dean