Just put a new starter on the wagon and its engaging about half the time and the other times it sounds like its hitting the flywheel and the teeth are not lineing up so they slide together.It's not free spinning. Just clicks and won't mesh. I've heard that sometimes you have to shim the starter. My old starter was'nt shimmed but this one just won't engaged. If you keep clicking long enough it will finally go in and crank. Does this sound like it needs to be shimmed? Does this just mean placeing a washer between the starter and block on one side or the other?
Phil, is the starter held on by two bolts that go UP through the starter into the block? Yes? Then you need to shim it. The shims are thin shims that fit between the starter and the block to position the nose of the starter. I fergit the clearance you need, but the shims should be available at any autoparts house.
The proper clearance is a paper clip inserted between the gears. It goes in between the space at the low point of the flywheel gear and the point of the starter gear. (not sure if that is a clear description)
Hey MB. Yeah 2 bolts straight up. Mine are offset.My last starter went right in no problem. I have read a shim about the width of a paper clip is about what you need. I think I read also shimming on one side put it closer to the drive ring and the other side will take it space it away from the drive gear. I'm assuming it's too close since it's hitting it. I just need to figure out which which side to shim it on.
Yes, get the shim kit, you get 3 or so in a kit and just try one thick one and add more if need be. Absolutely DON'T use washers!!! You only need to pull one starter bolt and just loosen the other one to install the shims. EASY as drinkin a six pack.
Leon, thats what I was trying to say. Paper clipped width space between the gears. I knew it was something like that.
OK Lionheart, I know exactly what the shims look like now. I came home today with one wrong starter that had a shim in the box. Had a hole on one end and a slot on the other. I'll have to head back up there tomorrow and get some.
Yep--Now if yer doin it in the driveway or garage, just make sure you put a block or sumpin under the frame, don't ever rely on ANY jack!!! Good luck
I had my core with me and they kept the box. Like I said about the earlier one I bought, it had a shim in it. I'm gonna go back and talk them into giving me some for the inconvenience of having to go back. I'll just make it look like its there fault. Hey You guys did'nt give me my shims with this.
I didn't shim mine correctly & it cracked the flex plate in about a year!!They usually give you a piece of paper with the shims in the box, but it depends on the rebuilder. jimV
sounds like the shims are your problem. Paper clip works fine for gear clearance, I don't recall the exact clearance either. Funny how over the years ya just do what works and forget the numbers. I had a '72 PU once that was intermittent, and what I ended up doing was putting the starter brace back on the front of the starter. Something else I've run onto is not using correct starter bolts. The real deal are knurled where the bolt goes through the starter. I've run a bunch with just bolts but sometimes you need the right bolts. I don't have an answer why. I'd start with the shim and work from there, if it where me, thats usually the problem I have a friend that never changes a starter without putting the starter cone on from the starter he took off. He says he never has to shim one that way. Just an old geezer trick I guess.
Porper clearance between teeth is 0.0020, which is the approximate thickness of a paper clip. I never could get a proper measurement taken so I just add a thick shim and hit the key. If it sounds "whiney", I'll add another thin shim and try again.. keep goin until I get the right sound. Then I warm the engine up to operating temp and try again. Sometimes the engine heat expands everything, making your spacing change... Had a buddy that owned a small block that was machined too far away to the flywheel...hadda grind the starter mount surface down about 20 thou to establish contact with the teeth! Weird shit.
I remember it being properly shimmed when you can stick a 1/8" rod between the flywheel and gear when they are not engaged. You can also use half shims to get just the right spacing. You know cut it in half and just put it on one side. Not all starters come with the shims for some reason.
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