Hello...
I have this very intermittent problem where my starter seems stuck and won't run...the solenoid clicks but starter wont turn car over. I originally had the same problem when I purchased car 3 years ago. My solution back then was to put a big wrench on crank pulley and this seemed to unstick it. Back then to be safe, I replaced the starter with the same Bosch one. Its been fine for a couple of years but alas it did it again last week and I didn't have my big wrench ! So, when I got it home I did the wrench thing and she started right up. Today I was just ready to go out and it locked up again and I tried the wrench fix but it didn't work this time at all. I have removed the starter - pinion and flywheel gear teeth all look good and starter bench tested fine.

So I'd like to fix this for good so anyone else had similar issues in the past and how did you fix it ?

One thought I had was adding a spacer between starter flange and flywheel housing as my thinking here is that the starter pinion travel teeth wouldn't travel so far into flywheel housing ??

Thoughts and comments much appreciated thanks ?

JB

 

I'm pretty sure my intermittent click-no-crank was caused by dirty, corroded ring terminals on the high-current post. It's worth a go with some sandpaper or a wire wheel. A (by hand) wire brushing is not enough.

 

If solenoid clicks but engine does not turn over the first suspect is the heavy current contact in the solenoid.
This is a big chunk of copper that over time gets badly pitted, then not enough current is applied to the starter.
In this case another ( new or overhauled ? ) starter was fitted
Hard to think 2nd one has same symptoms. Any decent starter can turn over a V12 or 6 cyl engine.
Check the earth strap and connections from engine to chassis, they often give trouble and become too resistive to pass high current.
Check the battery strap to chassis.
Check the battery +ve terminal, the two firewall studs and all connections to the starter.
The starter draws a heavy current and needs a low resistance path all the way in and out of the battery.