Batass

2 out of 3 flywheels I have gotten hit the starter gear when disengaged. One cleared but barely and I ran it a few times.

I put a stock starter in it and the clearance was back to normal. The starter I have is a mini starter and the gear sticks out 1/2" farther than the stock one. Took it apart to look for a missassembly or an adjustment, but found nothing. I'm wondering if the mounting block was machined wrong. I'm going to take it back to the shop when they open up again and match it against another one.

Anyone ever encounter this? Hopefully he will send the starter back and get me the right one.

ljnowell

Sounds to me like you have the wrong starter for your application. if it hits when trying to install it you probably have a 168 tooth flexplate and a 153 tooth starter.

Batass

It meshes with the gears ok, just acts like its half engaged.

Wouldn't the 153 flywheel just have a smaller diameter?

The starter has the bolt holes for both teeth sizes.

ljnowell

I read it as saying that when you went to install it the starter is hitting the flexplate. If that is the case then you have the wrong starter or installed wrong.

Do you mean the starter drive gear is kicked out like it is supposed to do when it is starting, all the time? I'm not understanding exactly what the situation is.

gunner53227

Are you adding shims to get the correct gap needed?
Does the starter sound like normal when cranking or does it sound like it is working harder?

Batass

Yea this is hard to explain, bc I think its a strange scenario. I had to take pictures the first time it happened to show to the shop. He got me another flywheel and said he wouldn't be ordering from that company again. The next flywheel he gave me cleared the starter but was closer than it should be.

The gears line up correctly, the starter is fully disengaged, but acts like its half engaged. It is shimmed correctly. I bent this flywheel due to my trans coming loose. Bought another flywheel from a different shop (had it in stock) and the problem is back, so now I know its not a flywheel problem.

Either the starter is wrong, or the crank isnt where its supposed to be which is highly doubtful.

bart91406

I had the exact same problem,and it was not because it was the wrong starter, how could it be? there are two flywheels and the starter is set up for either! The starter came with a shim to increase thie bendix to flexplate clearance but it would still rub, it turned out that the mounting block was machined incorrectly and put the bendix to close to the flexplate.I found that the only fix was to either replace the entire starter or the starter mounting block, I found a starter just like mine with a bad motor and that mounting block fixed mine. Hop-efully you can still return this, because it is just a bad starter.
"The crank is not where it is supossed to be."?WOW!

Batass

Well that was a little confusing. If you read my very first post, I said this-"I'm wondering if the mounting block was machined wrong."

Hopefully he will take it back. There doesnt seem to be a good way to modify the block. I'd have to get a narrower bearing and cut the seat down, plus add a spacer between the block and starter. Yuck. OR just grind an 1/8" off the starter gear. Eh.

Hey what brand starter did you have? I can't remember what mine is, the only numbers on it are 12.282.

Batass

So I took the starter to the shop today and matched it against another brand. Same measurements. Then we put it on a motor and all was well. He thinks maybe the block holes are off a little. Said he's seen it before. So he recommended that I just nip off some of the gear. Did that and rounded em off, threw it in and all is well.

Weird ****.

ljnowell

If the block was wrong the stock one wouldnt work either.

Batass

Well the stock starter has a much wider clearance.

Maybe it was a combination of the tolerances on the flywheel being one way, the starter block another, and the engine block somewhere where it just wasn't working. I have no idea, but the starter was fine on one of his engines.

What else could it have been?

ljnowell

honestly, I dont know it sounds crazy

I wish I could see it in person!

HCAIN247

mini starters come with round shims to move the starter back

BURD

The GM manual for your car will show what gap you should have. It may be just a shim.

cardo0

Yes I had a GM mini starter that would not fit in my '74 corvette. I tried every mounting position and even move the starters mounting block but it would not align. In fact it was way off. I don't know how as it's supposed to be adaptable to both size flywheels. You can look at my pix on Cardomain under my '74 corvette. You will have to sort through the pix to find the comparison of the mini with the stock starter. But the pinion location just doesn't match the stock gear.

Take a look: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/445470...olet-corvette/

Hope this helps.