OK...I've been under the car to look for an inspection port in the bellhousing and don't see one. What I did see are 2 vents, with white nylon/plastic grids on them, in what I would consider to be the front end of the transmission. These open onto the rear area of the forward end of the transmission...

ok...but does my question make sense? if sometimes I can hear just the starter motor spinning then when I turn off the ignition and try it again the car may start... This says to me that something is changing and if the flywheel isn't moving then the only change is the pinion gear referred to above.

If the ring gear is the problem, since there are points where I can clearly hear nothing but the starter motor running, how would the gear ever advance to a point where I can start the car? It seems to me ...and I'm pretty much a novice...that if that gear was that stripped there would be no way for...

OK so let me see if I understand this...since I can hear the starter motor running then the solenoid is good, correct? So my next step should be to remove the starter and see what I can of the flywheel then turn the engine to inspect more of the flywheel. If it is this issue with the pinion gear wha...

OMG ....for YEARS I've preached that the 240 was the perfect care except for the lack of a decent cupholder....I'll be in heaven once I find someone to "print" one for me...

New member here but long time 240 owner. My '92 240 is giving me trouble starting. I turn the key and sometimes it starts, sometimes I get an unpleasant semi engaged noise and sometimes it's just the whir of the starter motor. My guess is it's the solenoid on the starter that is causing the problem....