chevymetal

Hey guys! I seem to have a pretty unique problem on my hands with my 85 IROC. (305 FI)
I replaced the original starter in March of this year with a Hitachi mini-starter.
I used no shims, and it started right up the first time I turned the key.
It didn't grind, or whine - and frankly, it was a perfect install.
Then I drove it to a recording studio about 3 weeks ago. When I got back into my car at the end of the night I heard nothing but "click" when I turned the key. Over and over again.

Figuring it was the starter, I left it there for the night, hitched a ride home with my guitarist, and returned the next day with ramps and tools.
I took the starter out, and had it tested, it tested good, so I re-installed it.
It started right up again, so I drove it around and parked it. Checked it one more time, and it started again. Problem solved.

That night, I came back out, and when I turned the key - "Click"
But it only clicked once, and then fired up. I drove it home, and when I turned it off, it won't start most of the time.

I took it off again tonight, and bench tested the starter. The solenoid extends the starter gear, and it spins very well.
The problem I'm getting is that the starter will not align with my flywheel. The teeth of the two will just jam against each other. The starter extends, get's stuck, and while it retracts, it spins just a tiny bit.

Once in 20 tries, it will align, and sounds fine when it turns over the engine.
But 19 times it will just jam.

Can anyone think what would suddenly cause a starter to stop being reliable?
I tried shimming it, to no avail.

Sorry for the super long post.
Cliffs: Starter worked fine for months, then without changing anything stopped aligning with my flywheel.

Damon

I'll start by saying: YOU ARE NOT GOING INSANE. I've had this problem before myself. I know how frustrating it can be. And kudos to you for actually diving under the car to see what's really going on (which is what I ended up doing as well). First time you see it with your own eyes you usually say "What.... the.... f*^#$.....??"

I'll cut to the chase here and tell you that the teeth on the starter's spur gear were machined just a little bit "off." Too fat or without enough chamfer on the tip. Either that or the teeth on your flywheel/flexplate are buggered up or machined incorrectly.

Mine (a GMPP mini starter) worked for a couple weeks and then had the same problem happen over and over again. Some startups were easily 20 turns of the key before things moved just enough to engage- then it fired right up. Shimming did nothing to fix the problem.

When I bought the replacement starter I could see that the teeth on the new one were noticably more "trim" than those on the old starter.

Not sure why more use makes the problem worse instead of better, but I think the multiple "hits" against the flat of the teeth puts a little more lip on them or "mushrooms" them ever so slightly making the problem go from bad to worse.

millwrightrice

Yes I would get a new starter or you will be driven insane.Chevys do not have a lot of precision in their starter alignment.

chevymetal

Taking it back to the parts store now.