have a 77 350 engine that acts hinkey when you let off the key the starter does not disengage for a second or two. Changed the solenoid and checked the ignition switch to make sure the switch shuts off on release of the key (it does).... any ideas why the starter stays engaged for about a second after the engine starts and the key is released.
^^^^It may need shimming to help stop the "over engagement"^^^^. They say you should have clearance the thickness of a paper clip between the starter motor drive gear and the ring gear. Should be able to find some spare shims from anyone who has installed a starter on a SBC/BBC. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
or check that there is exactly 1/8" clearance between the ring gear, and the shaft that the drive gear rides on.
Ordered some shims. Will try shimming to see if it helps. There are no shims at all right now Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
try measuring the clearance, before you mess with the shims. Many do not require shims, only a few do
Seeing this, reminded me of this: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/shimming-a-starter.1150062/
Its possible you have a bad Bendix drive or a sticking solenoid piston or a weak or broken solenoid piston return spring .
I went and checked the clearance and found about 1/4” between armature shaft and flywheel. Well over the 1/8”. Any ideas whats going on here? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Like 2Old said check the drive and be sure the return spring on the solenoid is strong and nothing is binding in the action. Also look at the starter gear to see what the wear pattern shows. There should be a small collar with a snap ring under it to correctly position the collar. This stops the starter gear from going too far. Sometimes the snap ring fails and the collar slides down allowing the starter gear to go too far into the ring gear.
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/additional-tech/sucp-0107-chevy-starter-tuning The easiest way to check for proper starter engagement is with a small wire or even a paper clip. With the starter's pinion gear pulled out, measure the backlash between it and the ring gear. Ideal clearance is anywhere between 0.020 and 0.030 inch.
But the gap is too big. How do you lessen the gap. The shims would widen the gap. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Your picture shows to me the starter looks too far away from ring gear, maybe the bolt holes have enough slop in them that you can loosen bolts, push starter forward, re tighten?
I’ve had a few with a gap like yours and the gear on the starter still works fine just like your saying. Yours is a release problem and unless you can get a screwdriver or other tool to drive it in I would try the thinest shim and see what happens. If it’s better but not quite right add another thin one. I’ve never had an aftermarket starter not need a shim. Also since have such good photos. Lay under the car and watch it work if it goes in 1/2 way on the ring gear for me that’s been fine; it’s all we have on our Dart block race engine with 14-1. Disconnect the coil wire and have some one crank it for 10 seconds and film it with your phone. You then see if it falls out and the starter gear is all the way to the stop. Good luck.
Hard to see but the bolts don't look like the correct ones with the knurling on them--loose fit? I kinda see a gap between bolt and hole it goes thru in photo-correct bolts might help
Have you lubricated the gear where it slides on the shaft and maybe the pivots for the linkage between the solenoid and the gear?
Sbc starters arent to expensive. Yank that one off and go get another one! Those chinese remanufactured starters will drive you crazy!!! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
you can use half of a shim, to shim the outer bolt hole of the starter, and that will put the shaft closer to the ring gear. To measure the gap accurately, use a 1/8" allen wrench. If it fits in there, but can not be twisted, the gap is perfect. If it won't fit, it's too tight. If it fits and twists, it's too wide. If the gap is really close to 1/4", then there is something seriously wrong...such as the bolts being the wrong type for the starter, badly drilled holes in the block, or something.
My older sister had a 68 Camaro with a large journal 327. I chased her starter motor problems for a day, and finally pried on the crankshaft flange; it had lost the thrust on the crank, and it moved back and forth a good 3/8 inch. She sold the car rather than tear into the engine. I'd go with the correct bolts, shimming, starter replacement, in that order. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
removed the starter gear spins easily, no lubrication issues correct knurled mounting bolts ring gear like new solenoid is/ was new about a month ago when I started chasing this issue also there is no tail end support bracket, could this be the issue? I mic'ed the starter shaft and its 0.468"...can anyone check a stock starter for this measurement...if they are 0.500, that would explain the approx. 1/4" gap between shaft and ring gear.
You're looking at the wrong gap! It's not how far the starter gear is from the flywheel gear. It's how much clearance the starter gear has when engaged into the flywheel. So you need to pull the solenoid off, and then manually pull back on the plunger to force the bendix gear into the flywheel. Then use a 1/8" allen wrench and slide the short part of the allen in between the bottom where the bendix and ring gear intersect. If the gap is correct the allen wrench should slip in there easily.
The witness marks on the starter gear tells me your getting plenty of mesh maybe too much. Just try shims; like Jim says 1/2 of one mounted on the inside or outside bolt to get it to release when key is turned off. I think everyone is way over engineering this..
I understand the following are 2 different ways to measure this, either; ...1/8" gap between ring gear and starter shaft when starter IS NOT engaged with ring gear, or ...paperclip sized gap between spur gear and ring gear when starter IS engaged with ring gear what am I missing here?
I think you're right here....I will reinstall without solenoid and check with paperclip in morning....it seems to me if the starter continues to run for a second after releasing the key, something is holding the spur gear into the ring gear, either a spur gear that isnt sliding smoothly on the starter shaft or the ring gear is holding it from releasing the spur gear to return resting position.
And a shim will move it away and it will release. I also noticed some wear on the starter teeth you are showing. This may have sometimes do with it too. Good luck.
Hard to really tell, but is that flexplate on BACKWARDS; the grime makes it hard to tell? That would surely cause some problems. I am Butch/546sedandelivery.
The starter, what we can see of it, appears to be one of the newer permanent magnet starters? They use metric shank 10mm mounting bolts, and you have 3/8" shank bolts. The correct bolts for that starter have two different knurls, there is a 10mm shank, then it reduces to a 3/8" shank with 3/8-16 threads.
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