ok i have a 89 camaro with a 305 and a t5 tranny, i recently got an engine for it, but when i was putting the starter back on, i noticed that the bolt hole next to the oil pan was half way cut. I know this aint good cuz it took me months to work on this car and i just noticed this is there anything i could do about this??? i put some pictures up so u can see.

 

You should be able to find a starter with offset holes to mount to your block, should mount to the hole in front of one which is cut,also make sure it is for your number of teeth on your
flywheel. I found mine by talking to a shop that rebuilds starters and alternators. They were more help than auto parts store.

 

If you think about repairing that block,it is a skill level of knowing how to weld cast iron that pushing the costs of that way beyond just finding a replacement.

 

Thx for the info man, i will go tomorrow and see what they can do about it!

 

Sure.

It's a 305.

Throw it in the trash and get another one to replace it, for free. They're EVERYWHERE. People prolly PAY YOU to come pick em up. Lord knows I have; I don't want that crap piling on on my property, and back when I was building motors alot, I'd have to pay to have garbage like that hauled off from time to time. Isn't worth enough to make it worth somebody's time to come pick em up without charging for the service. Shouldn't be too hard to find somebody on the classifieds on this very site, that'd LOVE to have their yard or driveway cleared of their old useless 305.

 

You do realize that did not relate to what he asked at all, right?

 

I think he did.A question of what makes logical sense of replacing the block has merit.When GM designed that two bolt pattern,it for good reasons.To bypass that with off-set bolt two bolt pattern is a patchwork repair.

 

Which only works if you can fit the matching 14" 168 tooth flywheel inside a T5 bellhousing
Starter bolt pattern relates to flexplate / flywheel diameter

 

Really???

I thought he posted up a pic of a destroyed 305 block and asked what he could do about it? Maybe I misread something?

My answer is, throw it in the trash and get another, and don't worry about "fixing" it. And that it's because they're easy to find and don't cost much - IF ANYTHING AT ALL - because people are throwing away undamaged ones all the time just to get rid of them. How does that fact "not relate" to his situation?

 

Your absolutely right.

 

How is throwing away the block going to fix the broken hole? Maybe if we just throw it in the junk yard for a few days, itll magically repair itself, then we can go pick it up, right? Or should we all just ramble on like a self-proclaimed guru like yourself? Maybe that will fix it.

No where in his post did he ask how much a 305 would cost or anything about how people would pay him to take it from them. You said in your post, "back when i was building motors a lot", which makes it sound like youre older than 10, so maybe its time to act like it, show some respect.

 

I've welded that exact hole back together and its a bitch. pretty much the best way to go about this is to scrap it. personally I'm not sure of any starter stuff you could get to kind of make it work, but what i do know is that fixing that hole Isn't worth the time and it wont be the same as it should be, that and you have to pull the motor to weld it anyways because its next to impossible to do it the way it sits

 

Are you working at being a jerk, or does it just come naturally?

The OP asked what he can do about this. The answer is remove the 305 and get another one. That is the least expensive solution. I personally have given away two perfectly fine 305 shortblocks. The TGO classifieds have them aplenty.

 

No it does not come naturally, i really am a nice guy but i cant stand people like him, he is childish and immature, this is not about WHAT he said, but rather HOW he chose to say it.

 

Because after you throw the block out you can replace it with an unbroken one.

A broken starter ear is practically a fatal flaw in a block. It can be welded back on, which requires removal and disassembly, and paying someone with the skill and equipment to weld cast iron. Alternatively you can find an aftermarket mini starter that lets you use the offset holes with a 153 tooth flywheel. It'll be in the neighborhood of $350, which also exceeds the value of the block.

 

ok not too far a shot in the dark here but if you can try some quick fixes obviously the easiest way to do this is to replace the block and have a proper casted hole for mounting as said earlier. try the offset mounting unit which is priced at a cost of over 300 or drill the **** out of the starter grind and fabricate another hole in proximity without damaging the starter assembly maintaining proper spacing and save some money for another block if i am correct you have enough meat on it to do so fyi in doing this you may have to drill and tap the area next to the broken casting tab man i cant honestly say what you have there but on a real deal if your not fully assembled rip it out and look for a donor.

 

Please read my last post

 

Come on now NagleMac.Admit it.He just justified his answer with having built engines before.You jumped the gun here and admit you where wrong.

 

Maybe you could explain in detail the process of welding cast iron.

 

as an experienced tig welder, i have to agree, youd be better off swapping motors. usually the outside bolthole cracks, and its usually from people using the wrong metric/knurled bolts in older blocks. but i use stainless wire as its a high nickel content rod,...then slow cool it. brazing works also. this block is done though, IMO.

 

I did admit that i jumped the gun about saying he is wrong, because i completely understand that this block is junk, but his non-sense rambling was disrespectful and immature. Before you guys jump the gun, read what i said again, IM NOT DISAGREEING WITH WHAT HE SAID, BUT RATHER HOW HE SAID IT

 

Yep.I do see what your saying.

 

My point on welding cast iron is the only place I have ever met at Indy was a shop out of Maryland that was effective in cast iron welding.The process is to pre-heat and post heat the weld.That place in Maryland has many,many,cracked high compression blocks out there competing today and are experts at how to weld cast iron.0 failure rate.It isn't cheap and takes a expert to know how to do it properly.At the Lincoln welding school it is a whole section by it's self where some can do it and others just don't get the feel/sound of it right.

 

yes, welding cast iron is tricky. my father-in-law digs a hole in the ground, and quickly throws the part in the ground and buries it to slow cool. i usually just keep waving the torch over the part, little be little, cooler and cooler. the only cast iron part i was never able to fix was a small, 12inch?,...bell. like you ring. id weld one side and the other would crack. oddly enough, my brother-in-law said he did some brazing work on the liberty bell a few years back. lol. o.k. im off track. what did you decide OP?

 

RS_KID is probably not getting a good complete engine for free. Even if he finds a good block for cheap or free, he will need a gasket kit to complete the swap. He will have to spend time and gas money to pick it up and then time to do the swap also.

RS_KID, I would be checking prices on a mini starter before changing motors.

 

You know Bobby,if you look at the possibility of another block,doing a fresh hone,rings,and bearing,which not only fixes the broken bolt,but then gives him a rebuilt short block,I suggest to do the replacement over a mini starter.Some of those mini starters(well atleast the good ones)are not cheap.

 

Would have to do all that to repair the block too, so it's immaterial.

 

i have seen a mythical starter for the small ring gear mentioned over the years that uses the offset bolt pattern, but i've never seen one and don't know what the oem application would be. i know there is a HD truck starter with a cast iron nose that uses all three holes, but it's for the 168 tooth ring gear..

there is a company out there that makes an adapter plate that sandwiches between the block and trans and uses a 55-57 Chevy starter that bolts to the trans bellhousing.. it is meant for swapping newer transmissions into a tri-5, but has been used in situations like this..
the downside is that the plate and a starter will cost more than a good running stock 350 that doesn't have a broken block...

 

those cast iron nose starters are hard to find, i think? but i just saw one last week at a friends house. i shoulda got a pic. im not sure what size ring gear it fit. are they rare? i used to break the noses off starters on a high compression 385 i built years ago. i was told to look for the cast iron starter and never could find one. eventually i cracked the outside bolt hole on the block. a little welding, grinding and a tap made her like new again. i found that the ring gear was cracked and probably why i was having problems in the first place? so it might be a good idea to see what caused this? or just swap motors as suggested?

 

There is a stater/alt rebuild shop I have used for yrs here in Roch,NY.I am assuming everyone has one in their town that would have any starter nose you would want.