[84Z]

My old starter was a POS. Whenever I turned the car over it would make an awful grinding noise and whine. I just got a new starter and added 2 shims, but it sounds like it's scrapping too! Just not as bad. After I drove it for a while, I turned it off, went into the store and when I came out like 30 min later I tried to start my car, nothing going. It would make the scrapping sound and not start. I tried again and looked at my oil pressure and noticed it wasnt moving up, so I held the starter on and after 3-4 seconds it started. Do I just need to shim it more?

[Cody_71]

Would the teeth be ripped off already. If your not getting any oil pressure, then your starter is not engaging your flexplate or flywheel. If it sometimes catches and starts, the shiming is incorrect. Should check the correct clearence for your starter and shim to suit. Also make sure the starter is coming out to where it is suppost to. Hope it helps.

[DeathRattle]

You should be able to stick the end of a paper clip at the top of the starter gear tooth for proper alignment.
If the paper clip has too much movement at the top of the gear tooth take the shims out.

[bondo]

My old starter was a POS. Whenever I turned the car over it would make an awful grinding noise and whine.

It Sounds like you might have already Torn Up the Ring Gear.......

If So,.......
No amount of Shimming is going to Fix it...........

[fast68]

make sure you are running the right nose pattern for the diameter of plate or wheel you have

ppl often mix them upp
shopuld not need shims if parts are matched right and in good shape

staggered bolt- 168 tooth
straight bolt= 153 tooth
proper distance from very outer edge of the plate or wheel teeth to the shaft of the starter bendix = 1/8"

if it is scraping then they are too far apart or you have the wrong nose and plate/wheel diameter, or both of the above

[11echo]

I think bondo already nailed it. IF the grinding noise was going on for any length of time then the ring gear on the flex plate is "toast"! So even with a new starter you'd get the same thing. You need to crawl under the car and check two things, the ring gear on the flex plate and the start drive (or nose) of the starter. IF the flex plate is bad, then you have some work to do ...pull the trans the R&R the flex plate (you may get lucky here some cars you can push the torque converter back far enough to do this). If not then you may get by replacing the start drive. NOTE you don't have to replace the whole starter! IF it's trying to do the job, more then likely it's just the starter drive ...way cheaper then the whole starter! Good Luck!