Starter Motor shiming! Help!

[BFS57]

Hello;
Got this problem, my starter sounds like a grinder! I have taken it back and the Auto Parts store tested it (Auto Zone) and it seems to work fine (Not Tested under load).
My darn 57 seems to eat starters. I don't know if it is the rebuilds, wrong starters, bad flywheel, God only knows!!!
Got it back in and it seemed to start fine then it started it all over again sounding like a grinder. So . . . . I asked myself does this thing need shims!? Now, I got plenty of shims I just don't know how to go about doing this job right.
Any info ( as usual) will be greatly appreciated!

Bruce

[Mikej]

I would suggest you get a mini starter. I went thru several starters until I switched.BBC. Too much heat. But to shim, I believe it is .030" between the male tooth on the starter drive and the female on the fly wheel. You can use a paper clip. Check the teeth on the flywheel if you haven't already. Battery cables and grounded engine.

[57larry]

what year block & tranny are you using?

[enjenjo]

A full shim moves it out. A half shim on the outside moves it in.

The way to check, remove the solenoid, install the starter, engage the starter drive into the ring gear. There should be just enough room for a .030" wire between the top of the teeth on the starter drive, and the bottom of the teeth on the ring gear.  Make sure the ring gear is straight, no wobble, no runout.

[wayne petty]

one thing to check... if the starter is still off..

if this starter uses long bolts .. or short and long bolts UP from the bottom..

stick a mounting bolt through the starter in the proper direction...

where the threads and knurl stick out of the mounting face side...

is it tight where the knurl passes through the opening.. i mean really tight...  this aligns the starter....

now.. take the proper mounting bolt.. stick them into the block..  do they fit properly...  thread in easily without the starter... a tight snug fit where they enter the counter bore in the block...

why am i having you go through this...

there are 2 different mounting bolt diameters for chevy V8s...

i don't have a clue when the change came.. early 80's???. that went from 3/8"-16 thread... to 10mm-1.5 thread...   i do know that i have found 3/8 bolts threaded into metric blocks...    and i have found that metric bolts threaded into inch blocks usually snap off... or crank the mounting pads on the block...

the starter noses are slightly different.. as the metric bolt holes are larger...  and most use a SHORT solenoid... but checking the bolt fit is a quick thing to do...

i am also taking that you have a starter brace on the brush end of the starter...

i have removed many starter solenoids to get the fit perfect....

[BFS57]

Hello;
Wayne, Thanks for the tips about the bolts. The first starter the bolts were loose as can be. I just trashed that one and got another from another vendor(Car Quest). It's a rebuilt but made in the USA!! The other one, I used for a core was made in de Mexico!
Went through the usual stuff to mount, hook up the wires, and it works about a million time better than that last POS I had!!
I'm happy now!

Bruce