Starter Motor Issue

I have just purchased this car and every now and then it makes a grinding sound when starting. I took the starter off to check and it seems to be working fine. I found that the noise is the starter damaging the flywheel as in the pics but is it normal for say half the flywheel to be exposed as seen in attached Photos?
Does anyone know why this would be like this and how to fix?


Cheers

 

When you have the starter motor removed, you should mark one of the teeth on the ring gear with a paint marker.
Then rotate the flywheel 360 degrees by hand & inspect all the teeth for wear.
It is normal for teeth to wear in three locations on the ring gear.
The greater the number of times the engine has been started, the greater the amount of wear.
The solution to the problem is remove & replace the ring gear, which will require the removal of the transmission & flywheel/flexplate.

 

OK, thanks for the advice I will check it. Also can you see in the photos that only a portion of the flywheel is exposed? Its Partly covered by the casing. I would of thought it should be all exposed to have full meshing with starter motor?

 

It looks like the solenoid is not pushing the gear out far enough, this happens sometimes when the lube in the solenoid housing gets baked hard by the exhaust. Pull the solenoid out of its housing clean up everything relube it, and see how it meshes then. If that doesn't work its going to be the bearings inside the starter, there easy to replace and usually the real problem.

 

Ok cool, so your saying that in the picture how the flywheel is not totally exposed is normal then? If that's the case then I will pull that starter out and give it cleanup/service. Thankyou for your help

 

I looks normal to me. the starter motor is the problem.

 

The flywheel I should have said is in its normal position, what is not normal as ECZ has said, is the damaged caused over time by the starter motor not fully meshing with the gear on the fly. Someone has continually punished the fly with a failing starter motor.

 

Yes I wasn't happy when I saw that. But I will pull the starter and get it sorted. Thanks for the help guys

 

Look on the bright side, you have a lighted flywheel