Chrysler Repair: 1994 Voyager: starter, flex plate, starter motor

Question
I had a bad battery 3 weeks ago making a rattling click when failing to crank. Neighborhood mechanic thought it was the starter and put in an exchange starter.  It made the same noise until I replaced the battery.  Worked for a few weeks, then a different symptom; first, grinding while starting (it started), now I don't hear a click, but I do hear an electric motor winding up (assumed to be starter).

Answer
Hi Tom,
I would put this issue on the neighborhood mechanic's shoulder's. The fact that the starter motor operates but doesn't mesh with the ring gear on the engine's flex plate says that either the bendix unit of the starter or the ring gear of the engine are faulty or that the motor is not properly mounted on the engine such as to get proper engagement between those two parts. It could be the bendix gear. I would hope that it isn't a tooth on the ring gear as that would require removing the transmission to replace that part.
Roland