Ok.... so I don't drive my car that much. But I've now lost my 3rd starter, and I'm starting to think that i'm the only one that's eating up so many starters. Think there's possibly something that i've got wrong thats causing me to burn up starters? Something i'm overlooking? The last couple I had sounded like they'd drag on the flywheel for a bit after I started the car, but this one has seemed ok, but it still died on me.

Any suggestions?

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

What have you been using for a starters? I picked up one from a 2004 GA for mine. I don't exactly have a lot of mileage on my swap, so I can't speak as to it's reliability.

The first one was one that came from a 99 Grand Am. The second one I believe was the same. The third one I believe was from an 01 Malibu with a 3100.

This is the 3rd time that they've failed the exact same way. The starter still turns, but it'll kick in for a split second and pull back off the flywheel. Then you can just hear the starter gear spinning free.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

That's odd. I'm wondering if the solenoid is getting heat soak. You might want to try putting a shield between it and the exhaust manifold.

Hmm....... is there supposed to be a heat shield on the front manifold? If there is, i'll have to check and see if I have one or not.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

i dont think they come with one but summitracing.com sells a blanket heat sheild for starters

I just looked, there is a heat shield over the front manifold. Looks like I may need to add something for the starter. I'm curious as to why it would keep getting too hot for the solenoid though. This is gonna be something to have to look into.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

Any chance you're running on the lean side? It doesn't take much in that department to get an exhaust manifold hotter than normal.

maybe buy a new one so when it goes you can get it replaced under warrenty




JBO since July 30, 2001

Quiklilcav wrote:Any chance you're running on the lean side? It doesn't take much in that department to get an exhaust manifold hotter than normal.

I've been running a bit lean I think here as of late. Which could explain this one, but the last ones had to have been rich, cuz on the dyno during that time I had 10.5:1 afr.

NOTa2_4 wrote:maybe buy a new one so when it goes you can get it replaced under warrenty

Yeah, I was going to get a lifetime warranty one from autozone or something. Figure if It keeps needing replaced it might as well get replaced for free.

Another thing I was going to do is try to keep the heat down some and was going to try a 180* thermostat. Or maybe I'll get a 160, i'll have to do some more considering on that though. Might be minimum of help, I figure most of the heat is coming from the manifold, but at least it'll help keep all the temps down under the hood. Maybe I'll see what the guys on 60degree think of running a 160, if I can get one (sure theres one somewhere). Currently I have a 195 in it, and the engine will stay right around that mark when driving from what i've seen.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

i am using a stock 2200 starter, been great so far. two turns and vrooom

if i remember a 2200 starter is the same PN.

i was looking for a 95 2.2 starter and i got one off a 3.1 olds



JBO since July 30, 2001

Yes, the 3.1, 2.2 and 3400's all share the same starter.

But new news here. I only have 4 posts left, so if anyone replies, it might be til next month that I reply back to it.

I got around to changing the starter tonight. Managed to get it to start after being able to bump it a several times and holding on the gas some. Drove over to a buddies house as he has a house with a garage compared to my apartment and parking lot. He needed to get some things at Wal-Mart, including a shop light. So we spent maybe an hour or so away with the car sitting out where it's nice and cool out (right now, the weather channel says 66 degrees). When we got back, to avoid waking his g/f's niece or whatever, we pushed the car into the garage. Plus it was easier than sitting there and trying to keep cranking it til it started so that we could roll it for 15 feet.

When I got to taking the old starter out, the solenoid and the starter itself were both still really warm. Thing is though, I was able to get my hand up, and put it on the heat shield for the front exhaust manifold. So they cooled down really well for that hour or so. So I started feeling around, and the only thing feeling warm to the same degree as the starter was the oil pan.

This makes me very curious as to what possibly would be making my oil be that hot. I'll admit that I don't know how hot the oil gets when the engine is running, but the warmth of it compared to the exhaust manifold after an hour of sitting was a bit to wonder about. That and I thought that the ridges in the 3400 oil pan is meant to help cool it some. Plus the oil pan seems to stick down lower than the 2.2 pan does so it should be catching more wind while driving. So I'm thinking it should be cooler than what it is.

Any suggestions on what would be making my oil stay so hot for so long? Would a 3400 Grand am come with an oil cooler? (i was thinking they don't). Would not having the PCV hooked up to it be part of the problem?

I'm not sure what to think of on this one.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

the PCV could possibly cause this if the crank case can't vent the pressure out then there could be more friction. as far as i know the grand am didn't come with an oil cooler



JBO since July 30, 2001

Do you have a breather in place of the PCV? If not, try it.
You definitely don't want to be running an engine without crankcase ventilation of any kind. That might possibly be causing the hot oil.

I have a breather filter there on the front valve cover on the PCV valve. Though, the rest of the system is absent. I don't have the tube, or the piece that goes into the UIM behind the TB. And I've been searching around some, been having trouble finding the part numbers. I'm fixin to go downstairs and look at these 3500 parts that I have, I think the 3500 upper might have the parts I need.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

If you've got a breather, that's probably not the problem. It doesn't draw the gases out as a PCV does, but it should still relieve the pressure. I would use a probe to test temperatures at a bunch of different points around the block. You may have a hotspot somewhere near a passage that is heating up the oil. If so, you'll want to try to solve that problem before you cook a bearing or something. An oil cooler isn't a bad idea, but with anything like that, you obviously want to find the source rather than putting a band-aid on it.

I got in the closet today and started digging parts out and found the 3500 upper. It had the PCV tube on there so I took it out to the car and put it on. I also changed the air filter out because I was noticing a whistling from the intake like it was fighting for air. Also pulled out my cluster and blocked out the theft system light.

I didn't get the thermostat changed so that's pushed back some.

But with the PCV tube on there we'll see what happens here after a few times of running the car. But I'm going to agree with you Shawn that there might be something else going on that I need to look for.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

Well, good luck with it, man. I hope you figure it out so you can stop pissing through starters.

Well at least on the bright side they're under warranty now, LOL. Just will be a pain to have to keep changing them all the time.
This is my last post for a couple of days, but ill be watching if anyone else has any helpful replies.

Jon Mick wrote:
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum.

SHOoff wrote:This is my last post for a couple of days, but ill be watching if anyone else has any helpful replies.

Here's a helpful reply: go premi so you don't have to run out of posts.