Technical SBC starter eating flywheel

Had my motor running, and then starter spun but didnt turn motor.
Pulled it off to find 3 teeth eaten away and all of them showing wear.
168 tooth flywheel, staggered starter with 9 tooth gear.
Bumping solenoid i can see good engagement, but the starter is hanging up and not fully disengaging.
Shimmed it still hangs up.
Any ideas why its hanging up and or eating teeth?

This is a real PITA as I've got to pull the whole motor trans combo to get to the flywheel! If it was at all possible I would leave it alone, but dont want the chance of the starter at the dead spot.

Help!

1st pic is the eaten teeth,
2 and 3 are the chewed flywheel
4 is my firewall clearance.

Chrome was messing with flash. I hope the pics help

 

When I install a starter on a Chevy engine, I always check the clearance between the starter shaft and the ring gear teeth. It should be exactly 1/8". Check it with a 1/8" allen wrench...if it fits between them, but you can't turn it, then it's perfect. If it's too loose, cut a shim in half, and install it between the starter and the block, at the outboard bolt. If it's too tight, use a full shim. Expect to spend some time getting it right.

You probably need a new starter and flexplate, at this point. Ugh.

also, it looks like it's not getting full engagement, front to back, which could be from a few different things...flexplate on backwards, starter defective, etc.

 

Worst thing about Chevy V8s...

 

Most of the time they're fine...but every now and then...they bite you if you don't know the plan ahead of time

 

I just pull the gear out and measure, not sure how it could be done under power?

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Have new flywheel on order and new starter on the bench.
Have to pull the body to get the trans off to swap out. Pissed at myself for this, but gotta get it right

 

I have had to file down the starter mounting flange to get some starters to work proper.

 

You may not have to completely remove the transmission. Might it be possible to just move it back enough without completely dropping it out ? I have to wonder why its not removable. I'd be thinking about correcting that issue.

 

If only you had used normal hex head bolts to hold the transmission to the engine...

Sent from my Trimline

 

I’ve swapped a flexplate on a chevy without taking the engine or transmission out of the car,
Unbolted the transmission and slid it back far enough to reach in with a wrench for the flexplate bolts.


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Screw a couple pieces of allthread in and slide it back on those. Lippy

 

Good eye! Nothin' much gets by you does it?

This definitely looks like one of those cases where you can just get too fancy for your own good.

 

A rachet box end wrench with a piece of allen wrench taped or glued in will make the socket head cap screw removal not to bad.

 

What sort of car is it? Removing the body seems a bit extreme unless its a project car and not bolted down. Surely pulling the engine/gearbox together is much simplier and then you could test the repairs on the floor before refitting everything back in the car. Whilst out I would also consider fitting a removeable transmission mount so in the future the gearbox can come out by itself.

 

After looking at the pictures again, I think I would support the engine with a hoist. Remove your fan and pulley to gain some room up front. Put some cardboard between the engine and radiator. Then loosen the cap screws most of the way. You should already have the torque converter bolts out. Now take the engine loose at the motor mounts and wiggle it forward and finish removing the cap screws. Might work......

 

That is why I never, never, never, use allen bolts, don't get me started. Great idea, have internal wrenching with thin wall, insert wrench and turn, gee, it rounded out the bolt head. Too say nothing of side access or a short swivel if close access.

 

Squirrel is only the second guy that I have ever heard tell the story about the 1/8” Allen wrench trick. The first was the father of two guys I used to bracket race with. His name was Jack, and he was the top mechanic at a large Buick/GMC dealer close to us. He taught me that trick 25 years ago and it ALWAYS works. The starters are always quiet and never tear up teeth. Most of the time time you only need a shim under the outside bolt.


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Can you cut down a long Allen Key and get it into those bolts? Its only got to be as deep as the head and you might be able to get a small bar on the end of the allen key to break the loose.

 

I expect there's more to the body removal thing, than just the bolt heads. Looks like a bunch of really nice paint that will get messed up easily, if you're not careful.

 

Yeah, @squirrel you're 100% right. Allen bolts make it a pain in the ass, and there isn't much room to move things, and there's a lot of paint and polished.
Its in my T bucket, so lifting the body off isn't that hard. The trans shifter only has a little bit of room in the floor too, so moving the trans isn't easy. Crossmembers come out, but to what avail.
Hoping to get 2 guys over this weekend. lift the body, drop the trans, swap flywheels put trans and body back in, then leave me to myself and my allen wrench to set the starter in place.

I really like your starter shimming trick, ill be reading it over and over while setting it in place. Hopefully get to drive the car yet this month, just about a year ago I brought it home as a totaled out wreck, now its just about all show quality (later 70s) styled build

 

Might also take a picture or two of the flexplate and starter from behind, after you get the trans out. Just so show us what it looks like.

 

I agree, with just a light T bucket the body removal makes sense. For anyone else trying to remove a socket head cap screw in a tight place.......You can get ratcheting box end wrenches that have a hex hole in them and then cut an allen wrench off to fit in the screw. Once its loose, then finish turning it out with an open end wrench on the allen wrench stub. Tractor Supply, Rural King, Napa, and Lowes sell an inexpensive Gearwrench set for less tha $20.

 

I've screwed longer bolts in the bottom two holes that hold the bellhousing to the block to slide the trans back on to change flex plates several times and have used long 3/8 bolts like 10 inches to slide them back with the jack to change the front pump seal and or converter. Then it is just a push without a lot of fight to slide them back in.

Most of the rebuilders hit the mount face of the end frame on a belt sander or sanding disk to dress up the surface to make them look pretty hence the need for shims. Two or three cycles though rebuild shops over the years and the loose a lot of metal.

 

I got tired of starters eating up my new flywheels , and what I did was get a real old starter, one that was made in USA and take it to my starter rebuild shop for a rebuild. That fixed that problem

 

Without even removing the tranny lines? Interesting

 

I always build my hot rods so I can get the bolts out or they can fall out on their own. bought a Tbucket years ago that i had to pull the body to fix the transmission. While I had it apart I fixed the car so I could change the transmission without removing the body. Now is your chance to fix the car while you are changing the flexplate.

 

Honestly I don’t see that as a viable situation, his firewall is like mine seen above, there is minimal clearance at the bell housing. I did mine that way for two reasons, appearance and I didn’t want a large trans hump in a channeled car. His T bucket is even tighter than my car, he needs all the foot room he can get. I can pull my T-10 but to change a clutch I need to pull the engine, I can live with that.
From what I see he has a beautifully painted and detailed car. Even if he did want to open up the firewall he would also require a rather large trans hump to be able to pull the transmission, now he’d need to redo the carpeting but where would he put the throttle pedal?

 

Looking at the picture above, I have to wonder if motor mounts couldn't be removed and allow the engine to be lowered along with the tranny ?Might only need to be able to lower it a few inches. Might not even have to disconnect the exhaust pipes. Probably something else will cause a problem though..........

 

Next time you'll have a removable crossmember, won't you ...
" might" be easier to pull the radiator & take the drive train out the front