Chrysler Repair: 1992 Voyager Starter, fly wheel, solinoid

Question
Originally the van would not start.  Just a "click" from the solinoid when the ingintion switch was turned.    Tested the starter in the vehicle by connecting power directly to solenoid activation terminal and again just got a click.

Replaced the starter.  The new starter seems to work, but does not engage the fly wheel.  In other words I just hear a motor spinning when the ignition switch is turned, but the engine does not turn over.

Also,  I tested the old starter out of the vehicle and it seems to work fine.

The fly wheel looks fine.   Also I tried turning the engine by hand with the new starter installed and it had no effect.

Is the starter still the likely problem?  Is there a trick getting the new starter in place, did I perhaps install the new starter incorrectly? Is there anything else that might be wrong?  At this point I am tempted to put the old starter back in and see what happens.

Thank you for your help,
Alan Dotts

Answer
Hi Alan,
I would begin by making sure the battery is well charged, and that the clamps and terminals are clean and tight. If the full voltage and current required to operate the starter is arriving there, then the possibilites are: a damaged ring gear (but you tried moving it to a different position which would help if only one or a few teeth were bad, nonetheless if you take off the starter I would look at the state of the teeth on the gear), the bendix drive/clutch is faulty on the new starter (you might try substituting the old one if you take off the starter) so that the drive gear is not being kicked out far enough to engage the ring gear, the starter motor mounting is such that it is not fully meshed in its proper position on the engine housing (look at the mating surface to ascertain it it flush and not off-axis), and finally that the starter you were given is not the correct one for the engine so it cannot mate the gears. I guess removing the starter would allow you to check out most of those theories, other than the battery which you can verify first.
I am sorry you are having a hassle, but it will be resolved.
Let me know how you resolve it. I can learn that way.
Roland