Hot Rods Bent starter bolt

So in my avatar 31 chevy coupe is a well built blown 355 that rocks. It is 9.5/1 comp. for the 8.71 blower and for those who say the blower is to big for that engine it is underdriven and works very well. My delema is the starter a powermaster mini. Last summer it started skipping on the flex plate making an ungodly noise,took it off an found a bent bolt. But they where tight.Proper bolt with shoulder. Replaced them with new oem. Fast forward a year or so and its making the noise again. the mini is there to clear the headers. I haven't removed the starter yet to check. Any thoughts would be appreciated....Thanks Jim.

 

I would guess you need a bit more starter clearance. Did you measure is when you installed it?

 

If the 2nd bolt is bent and loose, put a new one in with locktite.

 

put a support on the front of the starter like GM did !

 

Put a start retard to pull timing out while cranking . I never bent a starter bolt , but I have blown some nose cones off starters. Either that or get it cranking and then turn on the ignition.

 

THIS /\

 

Either one or both are perfect fixes

 

My 472 Cad came with a bracket that went from a front starter bolt to the block for support, from the factory. Just like pictured by Pete Eastwood.

 

that support was a common thing from factory on chev and other gm with HD starter. I do not think it is required for mini as they are a different animal.I would suspect soft material allowing the knurling to wear off allowing starter to slowly move over time with compression motor bolt will loosen off enough bend over time when cranking $.02

 

I think being a mini starter doesn't change the need for a brace of some sort. The load is the same at the pinion to flywheel teeth. The teeth on both have sloped surfaces and the starter torque against the flywheel resistance tends to push the pinion away from the flywheel, twisting the mounting bolt in the process. That's my theory and I'm stickin' to it until somebody else makes a more convincing case for another cause...

It seems to me what is different between a mini starter and the stocker is the sheer mass and length of the OEM starter hanging on those bolts.. That, and the resistance to the aforementioned torque issue are likely two reasons GM felt the need for the brace at the front of the starter. Only one of those problems is eliminated by the lighter weight of the mini starter

Ray

 

When Using a starter with 2 bolts in a straight line it's imperative to have the front brace
When using a starter with stagered bolts that brace becomes more of a can't hurt and a good idea.

Having the right mini starter bolts, and they are special bolts for them, makes a lot of difference. The shanks are over size, the knurles need to go past the starter and into the block.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. Going for a cruise yesterday fire the coupe or try nothing but noise. Took the 52 instead. Today pulled the starter (powermaster) and found the nose cone blown off and a looked like an older crack in the upper web where one mounting bolt goes through. Doesn't look like anything more than wear on the flexplate. So new starter and front brace for insurance in the future. Thanks Pete Eastwood for the pic of the brace. The hamb rocks.