2004 Tacoma issue with flywheel and starter

My 2004 Tacoma's starter cannot reach the flywheel to spin it. What might be happening?

I've tried two new starters on it and neither could reach the flywheel to spin it.

V6 Cylinder. 3.4 Engine. 4WD capability.

 

Welcome to the forum!!

What started the replacement of starters adventure?

What Transmission are we dealing with?

Did you get 2 bad starters? Where did you buy them??

You did test the starter before installing?

Your hearing the starter spin just does not crank.

It comes down to bad starters or ring gear damage on the fly wheel or flex plate.

 

Or the incorrect starter.

 

Thanks, Bivouac.

I bought one starter from Advance Auto Parts and the other from Autozone. They are
both rebuilt.

So, perhaps, they are just bad ones then.

I never tested them before installing them.

My truck is an SR5 V6, 3400 Four Cam 24 type.

How this starter issue started was like this:

There was some clunking or beating sound from under the hood
when the engine was on. That was going on for about two months. I couldn't figure
out what it was. A friend of mine who fixes cars a lot also couldn't find out what it was.

I could drive the truck normally.

So, one day, on the highway, at 55 mph, I heard a roaring sound and the gas
pedal just didn't work anymore. The truck was still running and slowing down because I could not accelerate it anymore. So, I slowly pulled to the side of the road.
The engine was still on but I shifted the gears and the truck wasn't moving
at all. Put to D, it wouldn't drive forward. Put to R, it wouldn't back up. I could move gears back and forth and the truck wouldn't budge.

I had it towed. But we couldn't start the truck anymore after that. So, my friend suggested a starter replacement. He managed to turn the engine 180 degrees. But it appears that the fly wheel and starter don't click anymore.

That's how we got to this.

I'll have to return them today and get a brand-new one.

 

Thanks, Dm93.

I kind of felt I might have gotten the incorrect starter. That's why I came here for such
other perspectives. But wouldn't Auto Zone and Advance know the correct ones?

 

This sounds more like a transmission problem then a starter issue!!

I don`t think a starter is fixing this problem.

Maybe pull the access plate look see if you can see anything wrong.

Good Luck !

 

Any more the wrong starter I include with bad it seems to happen to often.

The cores seem to end up being sold again getting placed in the wrong location to often.

 

Okay. Could be transmission then. I'll have my friend take things apart and see.

Thanks.

 

Can't always trust rebuilts, I guess.

 

I don't trust any parts anymore, the amount of bad out of the box and failed days after installation parts especially in the past year is just crazy.
I'm so tired of re-doing jobs because of bad parts...

That being said for sure check that the flywheel teeth aren't damaged before trying another starter.

 

Ok. Thanks, Dm93.

 

Any update on how this played out??