the starter in my RR seems to be on the way out. before i go through all the aggravation of tilting the engine and pulling the header i'll ask the question.

the starter engages everytime BUT the gear disengages and retreats back. it will crank a few times but disengages without releasing the key.

solenoid is going bad, right? connections are clean and shinny as that was the first thing i tried.

Either that or the battery is getting weak. The battery is the easiest thing to get tested.

highly likely the starter. I would confirm by setting a known charged batt by the dr front tire & jumping to the starter large/small terminals. clamp them together first before making the final connection at the battery to keep sparks from messing up the stud threads & make sure the clamps cannot shift & touch the starter case (a helper to hold them might work) when it starts cranking

Put a mini from say a 99 360 truck in it.You will never use the old type again unless its a 100 point resto.Rocky

thanks guys! i'll be sure to double check but i think it's toast. and Rocky, that's the plan!

Do you see the starter drive pull back as it could be the one way clutch drive is going bad. Ron

i suspect that is the problem. it will crank for what i'll call 2 engine revolution and then 'free-spin'. i hooked it up to a jump starter just to verify the battery and it does the same thing. i was busy with brake stuff and fighting to get that brake reinforcement plate off, so i didn't get a chance to crawl under and watch the starter.

i'm just gonna replace it. i have to pull the header on that side anyway to SEAL my 'Percy's Seal-for-Life' gasket.

I see that word Header. Limited space was my problem with Bigger Tube Hooker Headers in the E Body with a Hemi. I would run the short factory stock starters and knew it would have limited life from the closeness to the Headers and heat. I did what Rocky said to do years ago and the clearance problems and heat on the starter problems seemed to disappear. The one Rocky has stated I believe is the type I put in the car. Can not remember if I took off that piece the wiring bolts to but you will see if it needs to be taken off if there is a clearance problem with the wiring.

i agree 100% with the header heat. this will be the 4th one i've replaced in probably 6 years of actually driving it. when i was a kid with a different RR i remember having to replace them regularly too. i'm done with that over weight, enormous stock style and gonna do as Rocky suggested.

i will miss that starter crank sound though.......

It really was the lack of room with the Big Tube Hookers on the Hemi. No room at all and the smaller factory starter just touched the headers and that is not a good thing with the heat. I thought about wrapping the headers in the starter area on the headers and using the old style starter but I ended up wrapping the headers of the Big Tube Hookers with the Rocky style starter and that worked great. I have a little smaller tube Hemi Hooker Headers on the motor now and did not use the wrap but used the same Starter and there is plenty of clearance for the starter and I do not have to pull the header off to get the starter out. I like those new Style little starters, I can put up with the new noise that comes out of them.

You can see how my starter is behind my headers and I have had the same mini starter on my 63 since 2006 when I put it together. And it has never gave me a problem. I used a Power Master mini starter but we have the Mopar V/6 mini starter on my sons 400 Dart and it has also never gave a problem and its been on his car since 1997. The clutch drive will let the starter drive the eng but not the eng drive the starter. But when they slip the starter just zings up like its free wheeling since the one way clutch is slipping when the starting is driving the eng. It sounds like thats what yours is doing. Good luck with it. Ron

you were correct Ron. once i got it out i put it on the snout end on the floor and tapped it with the wrench. a bunch of what i can only assume is clutch material came out.