Noisy starter help

[40_Tudor]

Getting a friends SBC 350 in his 37 Chevy ready to start after rebuild the other day. He had an old starter and flex plate on the shelf, both in good shape, so we stuck them in and hooked it up to a battery and cranked it. It turns the engine over but made a lot of noise. Picked up a rebuilt starter from a reputable rebuilder and we get the same noise. The engine casting numbers is for a mid 60 to late 70 350 four bolt. Thinking we had the wrong starter, staggered bolt pattern, I took my 87 305 starter over, straight bolt pattern, over to try. The straight bolt pattern starter won't bolt up, mounts too lose to flexplate.
The flex plate is a 14" 168 tooth. I've shimmed the starter from 1/32 to about ¼ but still too noisy.  Cranks pretty had with plugs in with this starter. We can turn it over by hand so not sure if its starter, flexplate or something else?
Has anybody had the same problem, and how did you solve it?

[purplepickup]

What kind of noise is it making?  Is it like the starter gear is clashing with the flex plate or does it sound like something rubbing?  Since you've had two starters on it that were shimmed correctly and it still makes the same noise, I'd guess it isn't the starter.  The flexplate isn't contacting the dust cover or something and causing the noise is it?  You didn't forget to torque the flexplate bolts did you?

When you say you can't turn the engine over by hand, do you mean with a breaker bar on the balancer bolt with the plugs out?  Did the engine turn over freely when you were assembling it?  If you've been turning it over without starting it I'd suggest you prelube the engine by spinning the oil pump before starting it, after you get the noise figured out.

I know these probably sound like stupid questions but there's a lot of possibilities.

[phat46]

Picked up a rebuilt starter from a reputable rebuilder and we get the same noise. The engine casting numbers is for a mid 60 to late 70 350 four bolt.Has anybody had the same problem, and how did you solve it?[/quote]

 I had this problem a few years ago. VERY frustrating. after about four starters and countless shimming sessions i took it to a local performance shop. They said "oh yeah it's just a shimming problem..." "good luck" I told 'em. Three day later, a new flexplate and their "good" shop starter they were stumped. They finally took the engine numbers to a good starter rebuilder down the street. Turns out there ARE different Chevy smallblock starters. the rebuilder took the numbers, determined it was a '68-'72 truck motor.  The difference in the starter is nearly impossible to see till you have them side by side.  there is a slight difference in the cone length. Since then the car starts like a Caddy.

[40_Tudor]

phat 46 sounds like you had the exact same problem we have.
We used plasta-gage on build up, pre-lubed all moving parts with mix of STP & 10w30 and spun oil pump with old distributor for 50psi before start and turned engine with braker bar 1/4 turn and spun pump again until we rotated crank 360. Flex plate is not rubbing on anything and was torqued. The noise is a high-pitched starter whine like you get when the starter isn't lined up correctly. We shimmed it in about every conceivable combination, straight down, more on the backside, more on the front side, no shims, still noisy. Starter is just too tight, starter drive will not disengage by its self, you have to loosen starter or turn crank to get it to slide back.
We will go to local starter rebuilder and see if they can pinpoint engine by casting number.
Thanks for every ones suggestions.

[40_Tudor]

A quick update on the starter problem we where having on my friends 37 Chevy's 350. Phat 46 was right on the mark on taking the serial number to the starter reman. They gave him a starter for a Corvette/Truck and it worked much better. Still some noise but I think can shim it out.
The problem with it turning over hard was another matter. As I said, new engine turns over with braker but would hardly turn with starter. The body is off still, we're setting up the drive-line so no wiring. We where using a good set of jumpers to power the starter. Well we thought they where good. Turns out they where a piece of crap. After I put a regular battery cable on the starter, the engine almost jumped out of the frame. Just a reminder to, DON'T OVERLOOK THE BASICS, streetrod building 101.  Every once in awhile just step back and review what the heck you did and your objectives. Kind of the forest and tree thing.

[Dave]

A quick update on the starter problem we where having on my friends 37 Chevy's 350. Phat 46 was right on the mark on taking the serial number to the starter reman. They gave him a starter for a Corvette/Truck and it worked much better. Still some noise but I think can shim it out.
The problem with it turning over hard was another matter. As I said, new engine turns over with braker but would hardly turn with starter. The body is off still, we're setting up the drive-line so no wiring. We where using a good set of jumpers to power the starter. Well we thought they where good. Turns out they where a piece of crap. After I put a regular battery cable on the starter, the engine almost jumped out of the frame. Just a reminder to, DON'T OVERLOOK THE BASICS, streetrod building 101.  Every once in awhile just step back and review what the heck you did and your objectives. Kind of the forest and tree thing.

Had a buddy that just rebuilt a 427 and was trying to start it. He called me and asked why it turned over so slow? I asked if he had a ground cable from the frame to the engine? Nope.. He put one on and cracked the starter from improper shimming. When i got there to fire it up we got it running and broke in the cam but we toasted the starter nose cone on the 2nd try to fire it up. New starter and all is well.
Dave