Starters Starters Starters!!!!

[Mikej]

Mini starter.......

[wayne petty]

the starter bolts MUST fit through the top mounting face of the starter tight...

where the head of the bolt fits.. its a loose fit..  but thats OK..

notice the knurl only sticks half way out of the starter... this allows it to center the starter exactly in the counter bore in the block ..




there are housings drilled for 3/8" starter bolts...

there are housings drilled for 10 mm starter bolts...

they are NOT interchangeable...  they will grind just like you describe.

if you put a metric bolt into the block drilled for 3/8  you will break the corner of the block off..    if you put a 3/8 bolts into the metric block it will usually strip the threads off when you get it tight enough.. and sometimes break off before it pulls the starter tight..


this is always a good idea.... as it supports the back of the starter.. stops it from moving around...




ask them what the part number was they installed...  there are at least a dozen different small block chevy starters ...

i am taking that you have a mid 70s SBC  with a Th350/TH400/700R4 as a transmission...   not the original cast iron power glide or cast iron torque flight.. which ever that came with.. that used a flat to the bell housing starter mount..

i don't know what year the SBC went to metric starter bolts...  i guess i have some research to do....

well that was quick....    this is for small block chevys and probably big blocks also...
non metric blocks are through 1981...
metric starter blocks start in 1982...

[BFS57]

Hello;
Well  . . . I just got off the phone with Ken and he seems to think it's the bolts too but, he thinks that the bolts he has (Chevrolet Item) don't seem to have the knurling nearly long enough as he remembers them being! Also, he has the "dog leg" bracket coming to brace the starter.
All in all, he doesn't remember ever having so much trouble with a starter. He said the it only does it when it's hot and only sometimes!! He checked the timing, damper, return springs in the dizzy, you name it!!!
Crazy!!!!!
That6 whats happening so far. I'm glad it's not me, I would probly poor gas on it and torch the darn thing!

Bruce

[wayne petty]

proper SAE thread long chevy starter mounting bolt

http://dormanproducts.com/p-32239-304564250.aspx

Thread Size :   3/8-16
Length :   4-5/8"
Type :   1
Application :   GM 5.0L & 5.7L
Short/Long :   Long

this is probably the package one will find at the parts stores as it has multiple lengths in it..

http://dormanproducts.com/p-15719-45640.aspx

Thread Size :   3/8-16
Length :   1-7/8", 3-5/8", 4-5/8"
Type :   1
Application :   Assortment for GM Starters 1981-62



this should be the proper bolt for the metric versions..

http://dormanproducts.com/p-22551-72181.aspx

Thread Size :   M10-1.50
Length :   113mm


you might have him check the threads in your block...

see if they are 3/8-16 by threading a bolt in...

or see if they are metric 10 x 1.5 by threading a bolt in..

if the metric bolt will fit without the starter.. the block is metric..  


10MM is roughtly 0.393
3/8 is      .375....   so thats   .018 difference... not including the larger diameter of the knurled section..

and far enough to give anybody problems..

you might want to look at the last page of this 6 page PDF catalog section...   it has the starter bolts listed by size...

http://dormanproducts.com/catalog/hardware2006/355-359_Sec17_Part1.pdf

[Arnold]

Flex plate. I have seen them with hairline cracks..barely visable. I have seen the ring gear..and the plate egg shaped. A just a bit lose flex plate maybe.
 Here in Canada anyway..after 1977 f/s GM downsizing..they stuffed some rinky dinky little starter on cop cars(5.7/350) this was a metric starter that was waaay smaller than  the normal metric starter. They put this thing on so that when they triangulated the frame with braces that you could still get this thing off. No you couldn't. These little starters had balls of brass. By far the toughest of all GM starters. No need for cross braces or heat shields. Probablly as of almost all cop car stuff(GM's anyway here ) there are no part#'s available. Some stuff came from GM Canada..packaged as "Police Use Only". LOL..that always helped a lot. Sure..as an ex. the upper rad shrould for the monster cop car rad was obviouslly stuck on the car by GM..they just did not lsit that part haha. An old taxi/police car garage/mechanic may help

 Hey Wayne..many years ago we talked on here of Chevette starters. I had one I could not get off. Even taking it out the bottom Even with a Chevette with tilt! This baby had to come out the top..off with the intake. Turns out there were 3 Chevette starters! The really stupid long one I could not get out the bottom was an optional "cold weather package" starter. LOL..that one did not go back in.

[wayne petty]

oh....  i wish they had written the chevette instructions properly....

unbolt the column side of the rag joint at the steering box....    push the lower column shaft in like you retract an antenna.... all the way flush with the firewall....  yep... it goes that far....

i always thought that a  chevette steering column.. and they did come with a tilt top... as a hot rod column as you could would be able to get the headers in and out... by teloscoping the column...

oh... i found this out.. as i looked at the instructions and could not understand how the thing could retract...   so i pulled the whole column to get at that starter...  when i lifted the column out the door.. i stood it on the end for a second and it went all the way in... wow... i am glad i was alone... as i was really red faced.  


another rodder here a few months ago used my knowledge to find a starter that fit his bolts tight and got rid of the grind....

i personally have taken a file and dressed the machining flash from the edge of the teeth all the way around to quiet new flywheels that were not properly prepared by the manufacturer...

i have also taken a vixon file to the top of a few starter housings to get the fit just perfect....

[BFS57]

Hello;
OK, Update! Got my car back from Ken's today. Doesn't even sound like the same car, while starting!
Ken had his fits with my Chevy. he ended up putting in new starter bolts, and the bracket you showed me. I seemed to run a bit better as Ken said he had taken a degree or so out of the timing to eliminate any "kick-Back":
So far, So good! well see as time goes on!
But for now, we are calling it "fixed"! Best part, it cost me $0!!!

Bruce

[WZ JUNK]

I am chasing a similiar problem, so I did a search on the forum and some other sites.  I came up with this technical information on the flywheels.  http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/performance_parts/store/catalog/Category.jhtmlCATID=913.html  I am going to poke around a little more and see what I can find out about the starters.  

The information on this discussion was helpful and I am glad you all hashed it out some.

John

[WZ JUNK]

Found a little on the starters here.  http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/performance_parts/store/catalog/Category.jhtmlCATID=4.html

John