Flywheel Problem!!

[svtjulian]

A couple of days ago, my 1992 explorer was making a strange noise when I start it. I thought the starter was going bad. When I took it out, It had signs that the flywheel was just hitting the starter. When I changed the starter it still made the noise again. And started to make noise when I drove it. then the engine started to shake alot and I pulled over, then it would not turn on. I had it towed to my house. and when I took the starter, I had to pry it off. and the brand new starter had the same wear like the old one. and this time the fywheel seems to very close to the trans bell housing. the engine is hard to spin by hand, which i had no problem before. has anyone had this kind of problem before?? well thank you in advance for your help and opinions.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Does the flexplate seem to spin true? It is common for these to crack out in the middle. Maybe it is crooked enough to be rubbing, causing the motor to be more difficult to spin.