Crappy Oreilly Rebuilt Starters

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Replaced the starter on the 1 ton a few days back.......think it was maybe a week ago.  It sounded like crap when it worked........grinding.  Started the truck, and I need the truck....  I figured that it might be normal for a rebuilt, or maybe it was a reduction starter.  Hell..........I dunno.Today, OF ALL F'N DAYS, it just ground, and didn't engage the flywheel.



I looked for the broken pieces in the bell housing, and couldn't find a thing............I mean nothing!I'm thinking it was broken before I put it in, or at least cracked.  I didn't look at it when I installed it.  Or the bearing seized, and the torque ruined it.Today was almost 60*, and tomorrow is supposed to get down in the 20's, so I pulled it out before the weather set in.  I hate the cold.
Reply:So, I'm thinking the flywheel might be ruined.  I don't have it in me to do a major teardown just now.



I'm thinking I might have dodged the bullet.  Doesn't appear to have any badly damaged teeth, just a bit scarred.  The clutch is at least 14yrs old(dating from when I bought the truck, not actual age), and it's getting funky........the throwout bearing is getting real noisy.  I figure it's a replacement job in the future, but not now.  If I replace the clutch, it's an automatic new flywheel.  Nobody grinds flywheels anymore I guess............it's a replacement job these days.  Buy a new one along with the new clutch.  Crazy.
Reply:I went through 6 or so oreilys starters in a couple years on an old f150. They would failed rapidly. Not engage or rough engage.  It finally went away when I adjusted my timing. There were a lot of attempted remedies that did not work. the srarter was getting excessively hot, too. Timing was what worked excessive heat went away.At least I only paid once.  Oreilys said they failed becaused.i did not use oem replacement bolts.