Starters Starters Starters!!!!

[BFS57]

Hello;
What does it take to find a decent starter? It seems like I have always had starter problems with this 57 Chevy since I purchased it a few years ago. This is number 4!.
Is it just lousy rebuilding or lousy China parts? This last one only lasted 2 weeks! Of course, I have the auto Zone "lifetime replacement" kind.
I also wonder if I am getting the correct starter at all? I have heard that there is a "metric" starter.
I get the stagered bolt pattern, my engine is a 350 and transmission ia a 700r. Is there a way to count the teeth on the flywheel to tell how many? Or what?? I'm open for all advise at this point.
I am thinking about going to a Ford style solenoid as my wires are close to the heat of the Exhaust and from what I hear this way is better to supply the proper amount of voltage to the starter.

Bruce

[phat46]

Hello;
What does it take to find a decent starter? It seems like I have always had starter problems with this 57 Chevy since I purchased it a few years ago. This is number 4!.
Is it just lousy rebuilding or lousy China parts? This last one only lasted 2 weeks! Of course, I have the auto Zone "lifetime replacement" kind.
I also wonder if I am getting the correct starter at all? I have heard that there is a "metric" starter.
I get the stagered bolt pattern, my engine is a 350 and transmission ia a 700r. Is there a way to count the teeth on the flywheel to tell how many? Or what?? I'm open for all advise at this point.
I am thinking about going to a Ford style solenoid as my wires are close to the heat of the Exhaust and from what I hear this way is better to supply the proper amount of voltage to the starter
Bruce

I fought this problem several years ago on a SBC. I was going through starters one after another, all were from theAutoMurrayZoneBoys stores. I actaully broke the nosecone on a couple.  I shimmed and unshimmed and shimmed some more. Nothing helped. One the day i was leaving for the Street Rod Nats in K-Zoo the starter hung on me and nearly burned the car down. After a year or so i took it to a shop, the only "performance" shop in the area. They told me it was "just a shim problem"  I told 'em "Good luck" Four days later I called them and they were baffled, they had even tried their own "good" sterter on it and had changed the flexplate. They finally gave up and went to the starter and alternator rebuild shop down the  street. That shop wanted the engine number before they did anything. It seems there IS more than one starter for small blocks; My engine is an early '70's truck engine, the starter is  very slightly different length, like a quarter inch. They installed one of their rebuilts for THAT engine and it's been fine now for many years. They also told me that the starters from the blisterpack stores are mostly "rebuilt" with a cleaning and a paint job....

[enjenjo]

What Joe said. I deal almost exclusively with a local rebuild shop, and have had very little trouble with starters since then.

[unklian]

I went through at least 4 fuel SBC pumps in less than a year.
All were cheapo brand, probably rebuilds.

[BFS57]

Hello;
How do I find out how many teeth my flywheel has? 168 or 153?
Any markings on the flywheel?

Bruce

[wayne petty]

there are so many choices on small block chevy  starters...


what's important to know..     do the mounting bolts that go into the block fit properly...

there are 3510 starters  and 3510M starters...

both similar...  

the 3510 starter fits with 3/8 mounting bolts.. the visible in this picture mounting bolt holes are smaller than the one below..    

the 3510M starter fits with 10MM mounting bolts..

look at the heads of your special starter mounting bolts...    are there 3 stripes>>>   or numbers like 10.9 or 12.9..

sae bolts will thread into the metric threaded blocks.. but will fit loose..

metric bolts may thread in one turn.. but when you go to tighten them .. they will either stop.. shear off .. or split your block ear off...

the starters are not centered on the bolts..  they are centered on the knurls on the shanks of the bolts..     if  you notice the bolt holes in the blocks are counter bored..    the knurl passes down into this counter bore area.. so the starter face has to be positioned properly..


here is a 3510 starter...



here is a 3510M starter...




notice the metric version has a shorter starter solenoid..


here is a link to show the starter gear spacing..

http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0900c152/80/24/ff/ca/medium/0900c1528024ffca.gif

one normally needs to remove the starter solenoid to do this..

[Charlie Chops 1940]

The 168 tooth flywheel/flexplate is 14" in diameter; the 153 tooth is commonly called a 13",  but it's closer to 12-3/4".

Charlie

[Mikej]

Mini starter. Was a bit of a pain to wire. Or save the snout off the original starter and install on a rebuilt one. That is what my instructors told us to do in the early 80's. It was a problem then.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

I started changing to the small Delco starters about 15 years ago when I had  beaucoup problems with the old style big starters. Mostly heat soak and some engagement issues. I tried all the fixes that I knew of or heard of at the time - mid 90's I guess.

I bought a GM rebuilt for the 168 tooth flexplate in my 468 equipped '61 Belair. Worked great and I never looked back. Eventually put one on the '40, and from the get go on the 4 banger in the track roadster. Every chance I get I try to convince guys to go that way.

A lot of the racers try to get me to go with the aftermarket small starters but the problem is there is no support on the drive end. All of my drag racing pals seem to go through those like they're free.

Just my ever so humble  two cents worth.

Charlie

[UGLY OLDS]

I too try to use Genuine Delco rebuilt starters & alternators on all my vehicles ....They seem to work like the OE unit did & they just seem to last ...In fact,I'm doing a "restoration" on my Wife's Astro Van this week ..
I,m replacing parts I didn't know exist... The vacuum valve on the heater control assembly?? Yup..Still available from Delco..$7.85..Rather than $156.00 for the "Assembly" from Chevy ....I'm sold....

Cap..Rotor ..Plugs ..Plug wires ...All Delco ..And it all fits  :!:  

As has been discussed here before ...If you're using the "big" Delco starter, you had better be using the "little" gm front mounting bracket ...

YES..It makes THAT much of a difference ....


Bob ............

[phat rat]

I use the Delco mini exclusively

[BFS57]

Hello;
WOW! What an education I'm getting!! When I put the new starter on, I used the bolts that were on the old starter and I wondered why I couldn't get one of them in all the way!
Where would one find rebuilt GM starters? NAPA? (Please don't tell me the dealer) How about RocAuto?
How about the brace at the end of the starter? Where would I find one of those? Fabricate??
Going to the external solenoid mounted on the fender well just like a Ford as I believe this will vanquish some of my hot start problems as I have read that when the wires get hot, they have more resistance!

Bruce

[Charlie Chops 1940]

For mini starters I looked at the NAPA and can't tell whether they are Delco remans. Rockauto lists a couple as Delco. Search by the oem number for your flywheel tooth count.

We often find them new in swap meets in the midwest as there was a Delco plant in Wisconsin that they seemed to come out of as surplus, but I haven't seen them as often lately.

Charlie

[wayne petty]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-354353

the starter brace should be available at any chevy/ gmc dealer.. possibly others..   gm part number  354353 as seen above...




where you mount a ford solenoid depends on where you can run a cable to... i normally use a 2 gauge cable....

if you cannot find the exact length... replacement ends are available at most parts stores...   truck electric shops can also make custom length battery cables..


try this link to find a delco parts store near you ...

http://go.mappoint.net/acdelco/prxInput.aspx?go=1&DBR=50&FC=RETAIL%3AREMANSTART&ZIP=&CITY=orlando&STATE=FL&x=83&y=20

[41woodie]

Some really great information on the eternal chevy starter problem.  I'm using the old big starter with the staggered bolt pattern and 168 tooth flywheel.  There are several references in this thread to the Delco mini-starter so I went looking and I believe this link http://store.alternatorparts.com/partno21593dr2lesterno3510.aspx
is the starter that is being referenced.
A couple of the posts mention some rewiring necessary but from looking at the contacts on the solenoid I don't see what changes would be needed. My engine is an early 70's 350 with a TH350 trans.
Can anyone offer a little guidance as to whether or not this is the correct ministarter for my application as well as an explaination of the wiring