[alternator]

Guys, I need some help. I'm getting a bit desperate.

I have just done the Vitara 1.6L engine swap, everything went just fine except for one thing: the starter.

I need to verify two things:
1. With the swap, I still continue to use the Samurai flywheel, right?
2. Do I use the Samurai starter or the Vitara starter? And are they any different?

The starter was making a loud noise, and we found its gear worn out, so I went and bought another starter in good condition. I installed it, but it was still doing the bad noise. We found the flywheel gear bad, so I went and bought a new flywheel ring gear and installed it, and got another starter in good condition and put everything back together, but the sound is still there. I'm afraid it will damage the new flywheel and starter as well.

What is the problem? Why is the flywheel and starter not synchronizing? Please help.

Here's a picture of the flywheel before installing the starter:

Here's the picture after installing the starter:

 

[Rhinoman]

You should use the 1.6 starter. If the starter is noisy then I would suspect that your conversion plate is badly machined or you don't have the dowels installed properly.

 

[alternator]

You should use the 1.6 starter. If the starter is noisy then I would suspect that your conversion plate is badly machined or you don't have the dowels installed properly.

What are the dowels?

I actually used the original 1.3L starter. What's the difference between the 1.3 and the 1.6L starters?

 

[Rhinoman]

What are the dowels?

I actually used the original 1.3L starter. What's the difference between the 1.3 and the 1.6L starters?

The dowels locate in the top two holes and keep the engine and gearbox in line. The 1.6 starter is thinner because the 1.6 block is thicker, the 1.3 starter needs to have some metal ground off it to get sufficient clearance.

 

[alternator]

I got it fixed! After damaging two starter motors and one flywheel ring gear. But the important thing is it's fixed

I found a local parts shop who had the ring gear sold separately, so I bought it and pressed it in place at a machine shop.

I bought a Vitara starter, new one, and fitted it, and everything was fine. The strange thing is that the Samurai starter seemed to fit perfectly, as you can see in the picture, but it doesn't really.

No one told me I needed a Vitara starter when I attempted the swap

 

[Billjohn]

the 1.3 starter needs to have some metal ground off it to get sufficient clearance.

That's what I tried with my first 1.6 swap (it was in a campground, many, many miles from home). There is alot of grinding involved here... don't think you can get away with just a few swipes with a grinder.
After grinding on the starter, I started grinding on the block also because I wanted to split the difference between the two. I found out the hard way that you have to watch out how much you grind on the block... I actually filled the hole with JB Weld. I replaced the block as after I got the vehicle back to El Paso.

Bottom line - use a 1.6 starter.

 

[Rhinoman]

I started grinding on the block also because I wanted to split the difference between the two. I found out the hard way that you have to watch out how much you grind on the block.

I thought that grinding the block looked a bit dubious so I just ground the starter down until it fitted, it needed quite a bit more off than I had been led to believe also.

 

[alternator]

Thanks guys; the Vitara 1.6 starter works like a charm.