klumb15

iTrader: (1)

some of you guys might know from another thread, but i just got a CVR mini starter, and some of you guys referred to shimming it correctly and alignment of it might be off becuase is kind of a multiapplication starter.

So my question is, how do I make sure its aligned properly? It might sound like a dumb question, but I don't want to wreck anything...I've already taken enough steps backwards, I don't need anymore

koll

I had my local mech. do mine. he put in a hightorque mini starter. For some reason when you put it in Reverse, the engine moved enough where the starter would hit the flywheel. he did some guestimates and got it right.

What Im saying is trial and error.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Put the flex plate on the motor on the stand; install the starter, using the bolts that came with it; hook 12V up to the solenoid lead and ground, but not to the big terminal. That way the drive will jump out but the motor won't turn.

There should be between 1/16" and 1/8" of gap between the tip of a starter tooth and the bottom of the valley between the flywheel teeth. If there's less than 1/16", add shims until you get to that point. Then take it back off, and use that many shims when you install it to the motor after the motor is in the car.

Don't shim it too much.

klumb15

iTrader: (1)

the motor is in the car already...haha...

this should be fun

89_ho_rs

I have a tilton mini starter in my car. I had bolted it up and did not have enough shim. so I put in the thick shim from the kit. too much. so I ended up going with one thin shim. I would start from there with one thin shim and see. if you have too much shim you will hear it. if you don't have enough you will know that too. there was alot of room with the mini starter and my headers to get to it. good luck

klumb15

iTrader: (1)

alrighty...so its basically trial and error, and if it doesn't sound right something is wrong, one of those kind of things...

GuitarJunki17

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, trial and error basically if the motor is already in the car. When I got my starter (OEM), it was actually missing the flywheel without any shims at all, so I had to take it back off and exchange it for a new one and bolt that in. Basically, when the gear from the starter popped out, it missed the teeth, so I guess it was a flaw in the casting of the base.

But since that was OEM, and are produced at dime a dozen, there are errors like that all the time. I'm sure that your's is much better quality since its aftermarket. So, really, you have to worry about the gear wanting to come up too far. I really don't think you would do any damage, as the starter doesn't have enough power to really do anything to teeth on the flywheel's teeth. But if you hear a grinding noise of some sort, then you have to shim it.

89_ho_rs

also if you do start the car listen to hear if the starter disengages. if it does not then you need to shim it a little more.

klumb15

iTrader: (1)

i have loud exhaust dumped underneath...but i'll start it up in the air and look under there and make sure it disengages...will it hurt anything if its engaged for a little bit until i have time to crawl under there to check it?

89_ho_rs

the starter will still be loud if it is engaged. you should still hear it unless you don't have any exhaust on the car. I would not let the starter run around with the motor not for long. start with a thin shim and then see if you have any probs. that is what my tilton took. I heard mine on my old motor right away from inside the car.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Get your starter squared away before it's time to actually START the engine.

How many different little loose ends are you going to want to try to tie up in those first 30 seconds or whatever, while you're standing next to the fender, furiously working the throttle trying to keep it from dying; all at the same time that you're adjusting valves, setting timing, breaking in the cam, checking for leaks, choking on fumes, etc. etc. etc.?

Best thing to do is to take care of ANY AND ALL KNOWN ISSUES before intial startup.

I'd include hooking up the exhaust properly in that list, if it was my car.

I like to get them to the point that when I'm ready to start the car, I can close the hood, reach in the window, and turn the key, and it will run; and as soon as I look under it to make sure I didn't do something real stupid like leave something hanging or sitting behind a wheel, back it out and go for a test drive.

Think of the factory.... would you expect to see a bunch of "mechanics" at the end of the production line, all fiddling around with a million freshly-built cars with their hoods up and oil dripping and water spewing and in various other states of disrepair? Well they're nothing but a bunch of humans, and I assume you're a human too; which means, if they can build a car and get it right the first time, you can too. All you have to do is think before you act, prepare at each step for the next step, take care of everything that needs taken care of BEFORE the moment of truth, and don't cut corners just to get to fire-up at the earliest possible instant.

"Good luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity".
(Emphasis on "preparation")

klumb15

iTrader: (1)

well i got all those leaks, oil drips etc etc out of the way, there was very few, thank ***. The motor is all broken in and stuff, so there is nothing to worry about in that aspect, I'm just glad its all done. But I'll put the starter up, and do what you told me with the solonoid and engage it without actually spinning the starter..to make sure its close as far as shimming goes...Hopefully this weekend is the moment of truth, if the starter gets here!

i really appreciate all the help guys...thanks