[2x4 Barrels]

Hi Bob


I see your starter seems to be working ok.Thats good.Keep in mind engines that start poorly can also damage starters.Mine is a 75



2x4`s

[77amc]

Cobalt, I'll pm ya.
Plus, I really don't know a serial #. It's just what came on my '96 Chevy truck with a Vortec 350.

E

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 77amc

Cobalt, I'll pm ya.
Plus, I really don't know a serial #. It's just what came on my '96 Chevy truck with a Vortec 350.

E

If it's just a small diameter permanent magnet starter w/o gear reduction, I don't need the p/n. Just if it's some kind of gear reduction OEM starter.

[AutoGear]

OEM gear reduction starters always remind me of those OEM mopar ones my friends used to have in their trunk as a spare for the one in the car.

Also, careful under there with that chain and whatnot Bob; I put a big ol knot on my head with a 1950s era chevy starter when I was a kid. Those suckers are heavy

[cobalt327]

I found 2 part numbers for OEM gear reduction (GR) Chevy starters at Sallee:

10455709- "L-98 Corvette style, this starter was introduced on 1988-'95 Corvettes.
Technical Notes: Use with 12-3/4” outside diameter flywheel. Pre-LT1 engines require starter machine work." Obviously pre-'96/L31 Vortec era. It IS a GR starter, though.




10465143- originally for Camaro Z28 with LT1 engine, so it would also have been pre-L31 Vortec era. The Sallee description calls it a GR starter, but it doesn't look like a GR starter to me (Summit calls it an "inline" starter, as well)- so the description may be wrong.

It looks more like the small diameter permanent magnet starters that came around in the '90s. It is also for the small 153T flexplate/flywheel. About $350 from Summit, no warranty, and I've seen it listed as a reman, but cannot verify this. I'm sure a better deal could be found elsewhere- like from a 'yard.

[RippinRon]

This is the starter I'm running on my engine. This is from Carquest and is for a 97 Chev pickup with a 5.7. Its a permanent magnet gear reduction. To the right are pics of a direct drive starter for the same vehicle.

[77amc]

YUP, it's the small bodied, permanent magnet style!

Small yet efficient..

NOW, about the flexplate, Is it the one that was run before the starter swap? OR was all of it changed out before the engine was installed?

These little starter shims only move the bendix (starters actual gear that pops out) more toward the center of the pitch of the flexplate teeth.
If you look at the back of the bellhousing like a clock, the starter is @ apprx 4:00, and the shims SLIGHTLY move it (the starter) downward. And since it's NOT @6:00, it just centers it in between the teeth instead of @6:00 it would move it OUTWARD from inbetween the teeth and could wear off the bendix teeth by not having enough of a tooth to grab while turning it over.
NOW, granted one could be all picky and anal and start measuring if the block had been align bored/honed (would move the crank up into the block, although slightly..)
BUT I'm not that goofy (but do make sure that there ISN'T any paint between the starter and block for grounding purposes.. Learned that the hard way when it wouldn't start)

E

[nortin]

Looks to me like there is different technical advice from almost every one contributing. So I guess I may as well throw something in as well.For starters (pun),if you remove your old starter and there is no visible signs of metal to metal conflict ,its all good and the alignment is fine.If the starter is not functioning,replace it and check for clearance and alignment.this is done by using a guage, a piece of 1/8"round rod,or a 1/8 drill bit,about 4 or 5 inches long is fine.With the inspection plate off of the bellhousing and the new starter installed without shims and tightened, slide the guage rod up between the starters ARMATURE SHAFT and the TEETH OF THE FLYWHEEL.It should fit neat with a slight drag(not jammed in ). IF IF IF!! its a too loose fit WITHOUT ANY SHIMS IN PLACE,,you will cut HALF SHIMS<(NOTE WELL!)and install these in the OUTBOARD starter bolt positions.It doesn't take many to bring the starter shaft closer to the flywheel.Check as you go for the proper fit. IF you should fit the starter ( or have had the old starter fitted) and the starter teeth are chewed up,thats indicative of starter too far OUT or AWAY from the flywheel,and you shim the outboard bolt holes to correct until its as it should be.IFFFFF the starter teeth have use on them and show shiny shiny between the teeth,,thats too CLOSE! IN that case you insert FULL LENGTH SHIMS THAT WILL BE PICKED UP BY BOTH STARTER BOLTS.This will in effect LOWER the starter STRAIGHT DOWN and give more armature to flywheel tooth clearance. Again,,check as you go for the correct "feel" with your guage.ANGLED wear at the nose of your starters bendix gear means very bad alignment between starter and flywheel teeth.By far in most cases this is from wrong starter bolts,or loose bolts causing starter to "sag" in its position. Personally I like to cut a piece of about 20GA.sheet metal into a shape similar to a starter shim but with two "dog ears"by each bolt hole I make in it.Then I slip that on ,insert bolts,TORQUE BOLTS,and tap the dog ears down over the side of the bolts to "capture "them nice and solid. This I how I have always either corrected or installed GM starters AND its as per instruction sheets that come with various reman'd starters(except for my bolt securing tab). same sequence would apply to a new starter. Frankly I've never seen or heard of an engine block that was drilled so far off that it required starter pad machining.

[nortin]

I've said this before on this thread but I'm repeating,If your starter has a starter brace on the end that bolts to the block,,USE IT! It's there to reduce the torque effect of the starter and to support its weight away from the two starter bolts. Not using it is inviting a starter problem at some point down the road be it sooner or later.

[jnordwall]

I have a 73 350 in my 1950 Chevy truck. I recently replaced the flex plate to correct the starter problems I was having. I bought a new Pioneer flex plate for about $100. After installing it, I checked the starter engagement. The starter gear only went halfway into the flex plate teeth. No way this is acceptable. If the teeth could be made thinner and still function, they would have been manufactured that way. I took the flex plate back and got the only other one they had in stock. It was another Pioneer, but sold for about $30. The starter engages all of the way into the teeth on this one. Cheap flex plate, yeah, but it works.

[77amc]

SO??

Didja get it running correctly?

E

[305edelbrock]

allright ive had the same problem but on a truck it could be that your flex plate is warped by a .10000of an inch and that your starter spline is not engaging fully also check your shims if any are in place

[twinpilot001]

Ive encountered before some =remanuf-starters that were actually machined?? bad on the actual mounting surfaces. Shims needed yet never could correct the alignment problems .All were from rebuilders that sell a lower cost product to auto parts stores. I now always use new type or higher end rebuilt starters =napa especially! Costs me way too much to replace the starter & flywheel / flexplates .

[77amc]

MAN... You STILL dealing with this?
The thing is that from the CENTER LINE of the armature (that holds the bendix--the shaft that holds the actual gear that turns the flex plate) is the measurement or coordinates FROM that center line outward to the meshing tolerance of the relationship between said gear to said flex plate..

I ALMOST feel like sending you mine just to try out. (almost...)
Wish you was closer. Id help ya out, or try anywho.

Do you know if the block was "align bored"? That could throw it off, or change the relationship between the 'gear' and 'plate'
{NO.. I haven't read the other posts. SORRY)

PM me Yer Ph# if ya want

Errol

[twinpilot001]

All great & correct -ill also add this =as ive had the same problems- The Flexplates are weak!! Yes!! Some flexplates are not a "Heavy duty" type!1 There are some differences- The center secrion will be a thicker material than others. See if there are soem listings for a heavy duty one in some parts houses-napa comes to mind - many dont even offer due to prices as they are some higher.Yet -all startres must be checked for shimming too