[LEROYDOZOIS]

if one of the mounts on the transfer case/tranny cross member were to be bad and squashed out could this cause things to shift and make the flexplate hit the starter??? none of my issues with the flexplate started till a while after filling the transfer case with fluid and i think maybe when the fluid was drained and it flowed out on the stuff it got into the bad mount and made it worse.


any ideas ??? i can post pictures of the mount if need be ??

[LEROYDOZOIS]

so either i sound very very stupid in this case or ive stumped everyone as well lol =]

[timothale]

you need to post more info

[LEROYDOZOIS]

1980 suburban, stock 454, th400, drive train is untouched.

when im driving theres a few Situations where ( something ) happens and my flexplate touches the bendix

like hitting the has a little hard from a dead stop, shifting up an incline,and or creeping up my steep driveway.

it will also happen if im accelerating down hill and i hit the gas kinda hard.

i just had the flexplate replaced ( it was cracked )and its still doing it. ive ground off like 1/8off the starter gear and still does it. i had 3 shims between the block and one by one ( removing them ) nothing changed.



the starter is a hi torque starter because the stock gm starter doesnt fit for what ever reason

[TexasT]

You say stock and I have been wrong before but I'm pretty sure there were no factory big block suburbans until '92 and later. I don't see how the transfer case has anything to do with the flywheel/starter engagement. Pix?

[LEROYDOZOIS]

your correct... i have a stock 454 in the truck but the truck came with a 350,

im trying to find the picture i had before, what my thought was is if the mount is bad, can the whole system ; engine,tranny,transfer case shift just enough to cause the flexplate to come in contact with the starter gear ???

let me find the picture

[LEROYDOZOIS]

i found them, 3 of them are neatly tucked behind the brackets and one of them is just squashed out.

[TexasT]

sounds more like a weak/broken spring in the bendix and it isn't retracting fully or staying retracted. Those mounts might also be worn but I can't see how they would effect the starter/flexplate relationship. You might also check the starter bolts as they could be bent.

[LEROYDOZOIS]

starter bolts arent bent, and as for the bendix not retracting i dont think thats the case but i can surely check that, how would i go about fixing this if its the case ???

[timothale]

It looks like the mounts have deteriated, the rubber sometimes gets gooey, If there is not enough clearance the starter might be hitting something when the engine moves.? We have a SBC in the Farm forklift, too much power and a gas hog, Someone used the wrong bolts and eventually the aluminum nose on the starter broke. the correct bolts are knurled and have a larger shank diameter than hardware store bolts , My son was having starting trouble and I told him I thought I had a good starter in the shop, He kept letting it go and chewed off some teeth on the flywheel, when he finally decided to fix it the starter only had one bolt. a little stitch in time would have saved him 200 and a day;s work.

[Crosley]

T-case mounts do not cause a starter alignment problem.

Check the bell housing bolts on the trans for tightness. Check the dowel pin holes and the pins them selves ..

Also , i have seen folks use too long of bolts for the bell housing and although the bolts seem tight , the trans case is not tight against the engine.

If the trans case is loose slightly against the engine, the trans case will move around, wear out the dowel pin holes in the aluminum

Just some thoughts

[LEROYDOZOIS]

thank yuo for all your info, last night i crawled under the truck and saw that as the truck sat ( all yesterday ) the bendix wasnt fully retracted into the starter... i can move it in about 1/8 or a bit less so i will assume this is my problem

today after work its going to be removed and ill figure out what/who to call. i suppose if theres a way to fix it i can fabricate something but im sure its more then just that.

if anyone knows a way to fix/replace my problem please let me know

thankyou all again, couldnt have found this without you all!!!

[LEROYDOZOIS]

the shaft inside the starter that triggers the bendix was bent just a big, and the inner spacer that surrounds the bendix/block wasnt added.he fixed everything and only cost $75

its on the truck and works like a dream.

thanks everyone.