Lets address the starter
 

The problem with my 914 is that when I try to turn the engine on, the starter just clunks, and doesn't turn the engine over. I made a jumper out of two alligator clips, and hooked them up to the solenoid(sp?). The starter motor starts to spin, but the engine doesn't turn over. Sounds like the teeth on the starter motor are not engaging with the flywheel. I removed the starter. What tests can I perform to see if the starter is good or bad. I was also told that the problem might be an ignition problem. How can I test the ignition out? If I took the starter to a mechanic, can they tell me if the starter is good or bad?

check out http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/mult_starter_diag/mult_starter_diag.htm
there is a tech article on this site about starters, as well as many other subjects. Good luck.


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Gerald Gore II (Sam)
73 914 350 small block

Take the starter out, hook all the wires back up to it and ground it to the tranny and try the key to see what happens. That will tell you if the starter is spinning and engaging. Look through the hole to see what the teeth on the flywheel look like, but DO NOT TRY TO MOVE THE FLYWHEEL WITH A SCREWDRIVER! To turn the engine over you should be able to reach in and move it by hand with the fan attached to the crankshaft. If you can't turn it, then you have larger problems....Good luck

How easy should it be to turn the flywheel? Which direction? If the flywheel cannot be turned by hand, does this mean a frozen engine? How would this be worked out?

Depending on your shop and situation, it might be easier to push the car a few feet to turn the engine. Remember to remove the spark plugs, and unhook the coil wire from the distributor for good measure. If it doesn't turn, search on 'siezed engine' or similar as there was a discussion recently on how to free same.




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-- Dave
Pics of my '73 project here: http://members.tripod.com/mike4g/dds73_b4pics.htm