After installing my clutch I went to start and starter whined and brights dimmed, quickly stopped. Took starter off, tested gear, bolted back on and now it whines like it's free and not engaging. It does this also while trying to start in gear instead of just not doing anything.

Help. Please.

 

Small ground (?) firmly attached to starter. Ground cable from transmission to body also connected.

 

This sounds like a bad connection at the battery or one of the grounds, or the battery is run down. Also make sure the big + wire from the battery is connected to the proper terminal on the starter. It should be the one with a longer bolt that doesn't have an internal wire on it already.

As far as possible mechanical issues, Did you take the flywheel off (i.e. did you put it back on properly)? Is the transmission all the way on, with absolutely no gap between it and the engine? Can the engine be turned by hand (in neutral, key OFF) with a wrench on the crank bolt?

 

I'll check around for more electrical, and if I can find my battery charger, throw that on there.

I see only the ground wire going from the transmission to the chassis, was there more? I tried to be aware of them, because I read about this problem before I started.

I'll test the crank later. I did remove the fly wheel, and was pretty paranoid about it. I checked to see if it could be installed backwards, it really can't, checked bolts with torque wrench 5 times. Installing transmission was a bitch obviously. I felt the input shaft kind of grab and got the transmission about a bit less than half an inch away from the engine, then used the bolts to close it the rest of the way.

I also removed the casing of the starter by accident. I thought I couldn't get to a bolt so I took the black casing off, not knowing the contacts were in there, I got them back on alright, but maybe I messed soemthing up? I'm going to jump the starter and that should eliminate some things.

 

Jumped the starter and it made the similar 'spinning not engaging sound'.

WHich bolt is crank bolt? I turned the belted one behind a resevoir since it was connected to it. Sounds like it's moving. I'm used to the resistance from an 81 mercedes diesel, which I'm assuming is much tougher to move for compression.

 

If you took the starter apart it may not be back together properly. Remove the starter from the car and jump it (use a pair of jumper cables to power it up from a battery), confirm that the pinion gear moves out to where it would engage the flywheel.

 

Positive on mini terminal negative on larger bolt?

Thanks for your help brother. Things usually go smooth, but this job has been a pain for stupid reasons every step (see taking starter apart.)

 

Found a diagram for bench test

 

The starter gear does come out while spinning. This sound is the sound it makes when on the engine. I marked a tooth on the flywheel and turned the engine by hand, it's moving.

 

Bolted it back on and snugged down battery and starter connections. Same sound.

So,

Clutch/flywheel replaced.
Starter does not engage flywheel.
Starter pinion gear spins and extends on bench test.
Engine can turn by hand.
First crank engine won't turn over, starter lets out weird whine and dash lights dim.
Take out starter, reinstall, sounds like gear is spinning and not engaging.

Edit: I put a multimeter on the battery. 12.04 (low), under start though it drops to 7. Multimeter on the starter lug/ground shows this drop as well, which i'm pretty sure means the starter is OK. The battery is less than a year old, and worked fine before I started this five days ago. I'm assuming since it drops that much under load it has to be replaced and not just charged.

Maybe a wire is in the wrong place causing too much resistance?

I've never had a low battery do that, it either doesn't do anything, turns slow. I tested the starter and the pinion moved out, wouldn't it still engage and do nothing instead of just spin?