scraping/squealing sound when turning key to start the car?

[MeloYelo]

When trying to start my car up (70 911) if it doesn't turn over first time around, on the second or third turn of the key there is what I can only describe as a "scraping" or squealing sound. When this happens, the car doesn't turn over and I turn the key back to the off position, try again and the car eventually starts. Any ideas on what the sound is? It doesn't effect trying to start the car, but it always seems to happen if I need to crank the car more than once to start.

[The cap'n]

Sounds like a bad starter. Keep doing this and it'll be a bad starter AND a bad ring gear. In fact, you may already have that situation.

The Cap'n

[Cattler]

+1 on bad starter / ring gear. Do you have a lot of engine oil leaks? When I first bought my 911, oil had leaked into the ring gear--not good at all--and it sounded like what you're describing. Starter turning over and high pitched sounds like gears slipping.

Dave

[NICE 69 S]

When you shut your engine off, it will usually stop when a piston is starting to approach TDC on a compression stroke. That leaves two places on the flywheel on a 4 cyl engine and three on a six, where it will usually stop. Used to do a lot of work on VW engines and you could see two distinct places on the flywheel where the starter always "hit" and wear off the teeth. That "screeching" noise you hear is the teeth on the starter hitting the flywheel and not engaging any teeth, and just spinning against a stationary flywheel.
Back then I would take the flywheel to Competition Engineering and they would cut off the teeth on a lathe, cool the flywheel and heat the ring gear and bring them together for a VERY tight shrink fit. They still install ring gears for $155, but I don't know if this includes balancing. See here "Competition Engineering Flywheels - Expert Porsche machining for 46 years"
They are located in Lake Isabella, Ca. E-mail Walt at "compeng-dsl@verizon.net"

Bob B

Starter ring gear replacement 1968 (March))