Originally posted by Rogerm60:
Originally posted by zm830101:
the starter spins for sure, but it is not the same noise as when the motor is running. honestly, i really can't tell if the motor is turning over with the starter or not.



Have someone crank it while you watch the pulleys.

If they do not move, the bendix is probably stuck on the starter or missing teeth on the flywheel.

If the pulleys move and it cranks faster than usual it is probably flooded.



I agree...if you want to be sure 100%, then remove the starter and manually crank the engine at the bolt on the front side of engine crank pully, and with a flash light have someone crank the engine over very slowly to see if any teeth are sheared off on the flywheel. I had the exact problem, and mine was the starter & the flywheel both shot.
Need to remove the tranny for replacement of the flywheel, a big job...done on your back in the garage! This is common on these cars, in fact ford sells a flywheel with an updated part number, as the new replacement flywheel has chamfered edges for easier engagement.