88 bronco 2 xlt problems

First question: What prompted you to replace BOTH the starter and solenoid in the first place? Was the starter solenoid clunking or clicking fast, was the starter not turning, or was the STARTER grinding against the flywheel/flexplate but not turning, or was it spinning clunking into place and THEN spinning freely without turning the engine over? ...........................................................................................................Second question: Did you visually match up the new one with the old one, and check NOT ONLY the hole pattern for mounting it, but the distance the snout is sticking out, as well as the number of teeth on the Bendix drive" to be sure everything matches? If not, that's your bad. Someone could simply have put the wrong starter in the box. ................................................................................................ Another possibiity is that THE STARTER IS NOT FULLY SEATED, even though the bolts are tight. This can happen with a snug-fitting starter, especially if one or more of the STARTER's bolt holes are a sloppy fit to the bolts themselves. (This happens fairly often with inexperienced installers, or with people using air tools.) .....................................If the starter is NOT FULLY into the opening AND PARALLEL WITH THE BELLHOUSING'S FACE, (even though the bolts are tight), the starter's teeth will not go in far enough, OR WILL BE AT THE WRONG ANGLE TO FULLY AND PROPERLY ENGAGE with the flywheel/flexplate's teeth. Trying to use a starter installed this way for more than a couple times or for more than a second or 2 each time can easily partially strip the starter's teeth (which is bad enough) but it can also damage the FLYWHEEL'/FLEXPLATE's teeth-which i s a much more expensive problem to repair. .......................................................................................................................My suggestion is to first take the starter back off and carefully inspect the starter and flywheel/flexplate AND THE BELLHOUSING SURFACE AND ITS OPENING for damage. An aluminum bellhousing can easily get damaged by the "shoulder" that most starters have to center them properly on the opening-if it isn't in the correct position when tightening the bolts. The damage may be very slight or severe-ESPECIALLY if it was tightened with an air wrench. Also one or more bolt holes could be partially stripped, allowing the starter to "sag"-which them angles the starter with respect to the front of teh bellhousing. ........................................................................... ........................................... If there is damage, correct it. If no damage, when you put the starter back up, only snug the bolts then back them off a couple turns and ROCK THE STARTER as you snug them up again. Sometimes a starter will get hung up in the opening, and one edge will be preventing it from fully seating If its just getting hung up a little, rocking it like this this may help ease it into position. Some starters can be a VERY close tolerance fit into the opening and a ding or burr may be all that it needs to get hung up.