Look for a local place that rebuilds starters/alternators. Had mine done
for $60 bucks. If they replace solenoid an addition of a starter relay may
be needed. The relay can be handy for trouble shooting too
On May 5, 2016 7:53 AM, "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>    I have an 84 van with an inline gas motor and the diesel style 50 degree
> mounting set up.   The transmission is currently out.  I have had this
> strange "squelching" sound when I start the vehicle...not every time but
> frequently.   Been doing this now for a few years and perhaps 40k
> miles...There is no problem starting, the starter seems to behave normally,
> other than the weird sound as the gear retracts, I guess.
>
>    On this diesel starter,  there is a small bearing or bushing sharing the
> shaft with the starter gear.   It is about 5mm  wide, with a shallow groove
> around the circumference and is slightly loose on that shaft.   It seems to
> be meant to slide back and forth slightly on that shaft, perhaps to keep
> the gear from being extended too far into the flywheel teeth?   I can
> 'wiggle' this bushing slightly with my fingers....It seems like this could
> be the source of the weird sound that sometimes comes when I release my
> starter switch....kinda sounds like when you trap a ping pong ball (do
> people still play ping pong?) under the paddle against the table....
>
>   Does anyone have anything to advise about this?  Is that bushing (sorry
> for the imprecise terminology) supposed to wiggle, or should it slide
> smoothly on that shaft?   Can that little bushing be replaced by itself?
> What's it called?  thanks. Don Hanson
>