Hot Rods New un-started 350 crate engine stuck NEED HELP!!!

You read my mind, deep breaths help.. People should read [like really read, i.e. Comprehend] through the whole post and then post...Ah, but what do I know.......

 

for a recommended starter that will last get a GM ac delco style one they use on the vortechs , they are compact and have some serious grunt to them and the smaller size makes it easier to get it in the hole with manifolds or fullsize headers . and buy it anywhere other than chromezone ( autozone) .
need to know staggered or straight on the bolt holes on the block .

 

Good suggestion,
make sure you get the correct bolts as it is critical with those starters.
So far throughout my colorful travels I've only found the dealer to have the correct bolts that work without issue. Expand quote

 

yea forgot all about the fitmit issue , the dorman bolts suck .

and torque the bolts with a torque wrench , the new starters do not like to be squeezed too tight as they have tight clearances in the reduction section , IIRC its only 35 LBft is needed .

 

o.k., here we go.
once upon a time, a guy replaced the engine in a car because it was "locked up":
same thing, took engine out, no problem(turned for converter bolts,for install, and then put on belt.. engine would not crank, tried new starter, no luck, then I was walking by when he hit the starter ,and saw the belt tensioner swing way up. WTF ?
anyway, long story short. alternator was locked up, took the belt off, started right up.

another time, a guy used the flywheel bolts that came with his G.M. crate motor, ( it had a stick shift flywheel on it),and he used the bolts for his flex plate
there ya go. I like to stand across the street from the box and give it the finger sometimes..

 

$1.58? ..I would have thought $10 a pair...

 

sometimes the dealer is cheap on there stuff like bolts and gaskets , but there are some specialty bolts I have gotten that were 4-5 bucks or more each but they were the only place to get them ,and often had to be ordered .

 

Butch-
I'm more man than you'll ever be, more woman than you'll ever get.

WTF doe this mean?

 

congrats - good basic lesson for any engine swap

 

I saw my brother buy a nice 1968 Impala SS fastback that way. The starter was jammed into the flywheel, owner was told by a "mechanic" that it was seized. He had the starter swapped out while it was still attached to the tow truck. Ran like a champ!

 

To me, the starter was the logical culprit..........the engine turned over before you mounted it, then it froze. The starter you need is the one with the staggered bolt pattern on the mounting flange, not straight across from each other. HOWEVER, some starters have THREE mounting holes instead of two, so all you do is move he starter to the bolt holes that will move it further away from the flexplate.

The reason is, the 164 toother is larger in diameter than the 153 and you need a starter that is moved slightly outboard to give the correct clearance. Just tell the parts guy you need a staggered sbc starter and he should be able to pull it up. I agree with staying away from Autozone.......their parts should be named "Don't Last" instead of "DuraLast".

Don

 

Unless you are very, VERY careful, this will often bugger either the converter, the input shaft or the front pump. I talked about doing this on my thread about the seized 351 Windsor core, when I pulled the trans back with the converter still on the flexplate, I took the trans bolts out one at a time and replaced them with some LOOOONG bolts, so I could support the trans on the bolts while I slid the input shaft back out of the converter neck. Then, once it was clear of the converter neck, I took the long bolts out and dropped the trans. Most vehicles you wont have enough extra room in the trans tunnel to slide it straight back that far with the engine/trans in the car...

 

Hey great tip on sliding the trans back , we are a bunch of problem solving gear boxes....ha ha