You are lost

So with the help of Larry’s mechanical prowess we changed the starter on my car.  It was a long procedure that involved removing the exhaust manifold to get at the starter but in the end I learned many things.

The most important thing I learned is about shims, and how they don’t belong next to the flywheel ring gear.

For those of you who are as confused as I was here’s a breakdown of how it works:  the starter receives a jolt of electricity from the battery when you turn your key.  This causes it to spin.  A small gear meshes with the gear of the fly wheel which cranks your engine and everyone is happy.  A shim is a spacer.  In order for the gears of the starter and the flywheel to mesh properly you have to have the right amount of space in between.  My shim had come loose and was in the flywheel housing, bent to shit and eaten away from grinding on the flywheel gear.

Hahaha I feel enlightened.  And sunburned.  Proper sun protection is important if you’re going to spend most of your day outside working on a car.