Hot Rods GM chevrolet a starter problem solution found

tried to turn the 307 over with the starter. 168 tooth flywheel. Staggered bolt starter nose. Rebuilt four field starter. New solenoid and drive. Used flywheel. Flywheel,is on correctly. Hit the key starter tried to edge and hung in the flywheel. Loosen the starter bolts and the drive comes loose. After .160 of shims it still hangs but goes farther into the flywheel. Any ideas as to what's wrong. Engine turns with flywheel tool are at the crank pulley.

 

Do you have the correct mounting bolts with the knurled shaft.

 

Yes correct bolts

 

Add more shim . Are you getting correct clearance when engaging starter by hand ?http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=g...89FC4400481651A8099F4C&v_t=client97_searchbox

 

Already added .160 shims. That's way,too many so something's not right.

 

Has the block been machined?

 

That's one I never considered before.
I have seen some rebuilt starters that came from parts houses that have had the mating surface machined so much (maybe more than once) that they are a pain in the butt to shim right.
One thing, if you think something is hinky with the end frame on the starter new Delco starter end frames aren't very spendy.

 

Try another starter

 

I did the research and found that a small, high-torque, permanent-magnet FACTORY Chevrolet starter from a 1999 C/K pick-up (5.7) is a bolt-on affair. I bought a NEW ACDelco starter from Rock Auto for about $100 w/no core charge. Compare these to expensive "mini-starters". I've done 2 installs with no shims within the last month.

 

I've done several for customers in the early to mid 2000's, the only downside (a very small one at that) is it doesn't have the 12v kick up for the points when cranking.

 

The flywheel has a counter weight on it. So I'm thinking I messed up there.

 

400 fly wheel ?
Good thing it's on correctly

 

That is the 3/4 ton 2500s for sure (and maybe the 3500s not positive). 1998 was the last year in 1/2 ton 1500s.

 

I had the same problem with a new Delco. Come to find out these are made in Mexico now and I went with a high torque small and it works great with no shims

 

Well ----! Flywheel changed and the problem is better but a problem. Got mad and quit. Will try using a washer on one side then the other as a shim next. After that throw a fit!

 

The marine solenoid has the r terminal for the 12v boost.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Ditch the " correct" bolts , shimming down gains a small amount of " out" away from the flywheel, with the smaller bolts you can actually cheat it out a little bit and if necessary twist it a little bit to get the drive further from the motor and the brush end of the starter closer

 

Have used every style starter nose that's for 168 tooth flywheel and nothing has worked. Shimmed everyway I can think of and nothing works. Cast iron nose aluminum nose straight and staggered. So what now. Guess I'll try the 153 tooth flywheel. Starters are heavier than they used to be.

 

Same gear on the starter all along? Long shot but...

 

Changed the bendix to an American made. Same ole stuff.

 

What trans? Can you see up there? Take the solenoid off and pull the gear in by hand? If you leave the starter bolts tight but rock the crank does it pop back out? Nose hitting inside of bell housing?

 

Ok so let's back up a bit to the first post.
Specifically to the part of 0.160 shims.

If everything is ok and as it should be - with out the shims, there's no way the starter could have ever engaged that fly wheel to hang up. It would go thunk thunk into the face of the gear. if the 0.160 shim still had it hanging up, then there's a problem. You said without those shims it engaged but got stuck.

Try a completely different starter, not just a nose.

 

Is it a manual? I use Chevy truck bellhousings since the starter mounts to that instead of the block. Been using the same combination since around 1983 in various cars.

 

UPDATE solution to starter not fitting!!!!
New 350 crate motor will be here maybe tomorrow. If not it will be here Monday. Will change from the powerglide to a turbo 350 while I'm at it. So much for good deals!!

 

That's a pretty drastic fix, but I like it.

 

That's one way to do it.

 

That's one approach !

You'll need a flex plate and a starter for the new stuff too.


Back in the early 90s I bought a 79 harley with a bad vibration in 3rd gear, I got it cheap because of that. Well the transmission was beat up and my friend rebuilt it. All good right ? Nope because 500 miles later it started again. It was certainly an alignment issue. I tried all kinds of crap, new inner primary case new clutch basket new primary belt drive - big money! And not a cheap harley any more. Well it wiped 3rd gear again. ( that's 2 times for me now) so I buy a brand new rev tech transmission $& $. All good now, nope. 200 miles and it's getting goofy so I park it. Couple months go by and by chance I find myself looking at a parts diagram for a different bike and notice the transmission bolt is speced as a "bolt" just a carriage bolt but the same Trans bolts on my 79 had a part number. 38 seconds of research and we discovered it's a special bolts for that 79 and 79 only. The dealer had them in stock at around $2.00 a piece. They are a carriage bolt just like any other but with one corner ground down to the flat. Swapping in the bolts solved that alignment issue.
Take what you will from that.

 

New crate motor and turbo 350 in the car. Just had to try the starter. Note to self crated motors have plugs in the exhaust and spark plug holes. When you hit the key. It sounds like a small explosion. Let's quit for the night.

 

The spark plug caps fly out pretty good

 

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/additional-tech/sucp-0107-chevy-starter-tuning/
http://www.enginelabs.com/features/video-features/powermaster-shows-how-to-shim-a-gm-starter/