Starter and flywheel not meshing

Cooper Linderfelt

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Original poster
Joined
Jun 9, 2026
Messages
2
Location
Cooper Landing, Alaska
Hello, I just had to replace my clutch and flywheel and with that, the stress of a new working clutch caused my starter to kick the bucket as it was the original starter. With that, I was able to get my jeep started with the new clutch, flywheel, and original starter but after replacing the starter there is not terrible grinding noise and it is slowly chipping away at the teeth on both starter and flywheel.

I have tried both a remanned starter and new PA performance starter. (They were easier to get as I’m in Alaska for the summer)
The new flywheel is from rock auto. LUK LFW193
 
Been awhile for me, is it possible to put it in backwards? I’m thinking it has printing on it that says facing the front or facing the clutch? Just throwing a thought out there.

Welcome to the forum. Love me some Alaska!
 
I would imagine Alaska would have an auto electric place that can rebuild your original.

-Mac
 
@macleanflood hey you break shit and take your Jeep apart regularly, can the fly wheel be installed backwards or am I thinking of the clutch having writing on it telling which way faces the engine or tranny?
 
@macleanflood hey you break shit and take your Jeep apart regularly, can the fly wheel be installed backwards or am I thinking of the clutch having writing on it telling which way faces the engine or tranny?
You might install it backwards. I doubt you'd get it to spin afterward. That and the timing notches are a bit far apart for the starter to engage.
 
I'm wondering too if you managed to install it backwards and if it didn't make a horrible enough noise to get you to stop immediately then it might not run because the spacing for crank position sensor might be off?

One way or another I suspect the starter first.

It's entirely possible the Luk flywheel is crap.

But my uneducated guess is the starter.

-Mac
 
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I'm wondering too if you managed to install it backwards and if it didn't make a horrible enough noise to get you to stop immediately then it might not run because the spacing for crank position sensor might be off?

One way or another I suspect the starter first.

It's entirely possible the Luk flywheel is crap.

But my uneducated guess is the starter.

-Mac
This would be a bunch more fun if you fuckers would spend 3 seconds and do an image search for a TJ flywheel.

https://www.quadratec.com/vehicle/1997-2006-wrangler-tj/driveline/transmission/flywheels
1781099067643.webp