ok, installed a new starter on my friends 89 Camaro 2.8L ..
we took it off there were no shims.. so i figured, hmm maybe we won't need to add any. so i installed it. turned the key. and GRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDd the engine didn't even turn over.. it just made an awfull grounding noise. so i went out and brought shims, and started adding them.. well 5 shims (.25") later, it was at a acceptable position. it would start but there was still a little grinding noise.. This doesn't seem normal that it needs a 1/4 inch of shims to get it to not grind. am i doing somethign wrong..

 

sounds like maybe you go the wrong starter, we put a starter on my buddies 2.8l blazer,(starter was from autozone), and if i recall, we used no shims, maybe one thin one at most

 

never heard of needing that many shims. you might want to try shimming one hole, i ithnk the inner, to move the starter away from the flywheel/flexpalte. i'd double check too to make sure they sold me the right starter, but if it looked the same and bolts up very good chance they did.