Hot Rods GM chevrolet a starter problem solution found

this can't end like this. did you ever find out what the problem was?

 

It was a 307, them damn things are useless.

A few years ago we had a giant lifted 4x4 come in. Friend of a friend's sons truck. Him and his buddies were going at it pretty good but got stuck. Just kids with all the knowledge of 1st year auto shop can give. Liberal use of wire cutters instead of un clipping the plugs.

It came here because the 2 replacement engines wouldn't fit.
First engine was a 305 rebuilt and donated from the shop teacher. It wouldn't fit. So they ordered up the Second and it was a crate 350 that also wouldn't fit.
The truck Had TBI 350 removed for a rod knock, however the noise was a cracked exhaust manifold be hind the heat shield.

 

Chevrolet starter motor problems caused me a lot of money not to mention the time I wasted trying to figure out the problem.

I changed the starter motor on a 1977 350 with a new starter and without realizing that back around that time they switched from a standard bolt thread to a metric bolt which is different in length so when you tighten them down they can crack the ears around the bolt holes.

Each starter motor I installed would work fine for a few weeks and then would start grinding when starting.
I changed the flywheel along with a few starter motors and I added shims thinking that might be the problem. I also installed new cables to the starter motor.

I had a friend just touch the key a few times and I could not believe my eyes the starter motor when tighten down was moving up and down and that's when I started looking for hair lines cracks around the bolt holes and sure enough there they were.

DO NO INSTALL STARTER BOLTS UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED THEIR LENGTHS.

I learned this lesson the hard way because I lost a great running 350 engine in the process.

Jimbo

 

Took the words outa my mouth. This thread won't die until we know!

Speaking of starter bolts, my latest SBC truck (1983) has the brace at the forward end of the starter, by the motor mount, that goes to the side of the block. I have never bothered with the brace before, maybe it's a good thing.

 

Small block Chevy with big starter (up to 1993) uses one of two bolts. 3.76or 4.4 length both in 3/8 -16 thead. The mini starters 94-2002 use a larger metric shank with SAE 3/8-16 threads up to 2002. SBC starter boss is not metric thread. The mini starters use special bolts, - very very very important are those bolts. The later GM mini starter will work on any Block too, needs the 168 tooth flywheel.

 

The brace holds the heavy MOFO up there, really important with the straight pattern hole starters