<VV> RE: Starter clutch problem

[Craig Nicol]

<snip>
Ordered clutch kit from Clark's.  Rebuilt pressure plate with new ring gear.

Assembly went fine but starter teeth do not engage ring gear teeth properly.

Hard to describe the noise but it's like teeth not meshing but grinding on 
each other.  Starter was working perfectly before.  Tried replacement (good)

starter with same results.  Mechanic believes the ring gear might not have
been 
welded on perfectly.  Talked with tech at Clark's and they say they've never

run into it before.

Anyone out there ever run into this before?  Any ideas or educated guesses?
Bud <unsnip>

I ran into exactly the same thing with my '66 EFI car.  The clutch cover had
been dropped at some point and, just like yours, the ring gear had a flat
spot.  Mine was bad enough that it broke the starter nose.

Along the same lines, the lead mechanic at the local Chevy dealer told me of
the time he installed a replacement torque converter in a '69.  After
installation of the transaxle, the car wouldn't start - in fact the starter
wouldn't engage, it just free wheeled.  Of course he tried a replacement
starter but that yielded the same result.  Upon disassembly and inspection,
he found that the torque converter had no ring gear at all!  So much for
quality inspection!
Craig Nicol