After pulling a all nighter... We have come to find that the starter is engaging the flywheel but it just spins the flywheel... With the car in gear or in neutral i can spin the flywheel with my finger and there is 1/8 slop in each direction... I know this cant be right.... (can it)..... what do you all think... you all have been such great help...

 

I think you need to pull the tranny and see what's up with the flywheel. Should only take about 20 mins to drop it and take a look.

 

Having the same problem the part of the flywheel that touches the starter is just spinning if u found out how to fix it let me know

 

It's not 20mins for most people


Have you tried turning the engine over by hand and watching what happens to the flywheel? Best way is to grab a breaker bar and a 19mm socket and plugging that on the main pulley bolt. If the transmission is in neutral or the clutch disengaged (pedal in), the engine should spin relatively freely, and you should see the flywheel rotating at the same rate of the pulley rotation.

If you hit a mechanical limit, then something is engaging the flywheel or rotors. If you leave the rear wheels on the ground, put the car into gear, and try turning over the engine by hand, it should be flippin difficult, and it should be trying to turn the wheels and move the car. If it spins with the gears and clutch engaged, something is broken.

 

The flywheel is one piece w/ the ring gear so the ring gear is not loose like I have seen happen on aftermarket flywheels. This leaves a couple options:

1. The key that keeps the flywheel in place on the Eshaft is sheared.

2. The bolt that holds the flywheel on has come loose

3. Some how you have snapped the E shaft (not good)

All require removing the trans or in the case of the last one pulling the motor.

 

uh no, not in a fully OE RX-8, not going to happen

 

Slight revival of this thread since I believe my current issue is similar.

Background:
June 2 - Couldn't start and successfully push started same day and no issues rest of the week.
June 9 - New starter installed, with no issues for one week, then started to hear a metal spinning sound when starting
June 26 - more than my average spirited driving on my way home, but did make a stop on the trip and car restarted with similar sound stated above.
June 27 - Car wouldn't start with worse/loader sounding metal noise when starting.
Couple of additional notes: I have the BHR kit and new plugs installed in late May.
When revving in neutral I could heard a similar metal rattling sound, but when in gear it was less noticeable.

Are you saying that the ring gear and friction plate/inner portion of the flywheel cannot become disconnected?

If so I believe mine has had this happen or all of the mounting hardware has broken off because I can hear the flywheel spinning when I try to start.

When diagnosing last night I removed the starter and could feel play in the ring gear portion of the flywheel.

It possibly could be something else when I take the transmission off, but until that point it's only speculation.

 

I agree you may be able to get it out in an hour, but it takes me longer than that.

 

Different issue. Low battery or malfunctioning starter solenoid.

 

^+1

 

Interesting, I'll charge the battery tonight and see what happens.

Then if that doesn't work I'll try the other starter that I have.

 

So last night I charged the battery and swapped starters, issues still exists.
Any other ideas?

 

My initial assumption was correct that the flywheel gear ring had separated from the inner friction portion.

Just following up on this if anyone else has a similar issue.

When I pulled the transmission today and took the pressure place and clutch off, the flywheel gear just fell off as well. See attached. I'm holding the gear ring next to the rest of the flywheel that is still mounted to the engine.

 

^ Wow! That's impressively weird ...

 

I'm pretty sure this is the same issue I'm having, what did you do to fix it? buy a new fly wheel?

 

If the gear separates like in the picture above, then yes, buy a new flywheel. Or push start it every day.

 

+1, the starter can't turn the flywheel which then turns the motor. Motor not turning = cannot start. Push start only option.

If you remove the starter and pull/push on the ring gear you should get some play/movement if it has come off.

 

Holy ****...

That is awesome.

 

yeah thats exactly whats happening, the ring gear has play, can hear the flywheel just spinning when trying to start the car. Gonna take the transmission off tomorrow and have a look, glad I found this post, thanks.

 

i was going to say, since when have rotary flywheels been one piece? they've always had a press on ring gear for as long as i could remember and the 8's flywheel not being the exception.

you could try to replace just the ring gear but it is likely the flywheel is gouged up on the mating surface so a new flywheel is the best choice. in the past i have reinstalled the ring gear and tack welded it to the flywheel in 4 equalateral positions on the side facing away from the starter and that worked as a rather permanent salvage fix.

 

Excat same thing just happened to me ring gear came loose and it turnes out my flywheel was warped too. Wonder how that happens. Anybody got a flywheel around ontario canada to sell ?

 

I have one but I am in Texas, I ship car parts up to canada regularly though. I'll do $90 shipped.