My new hedman LTs arrived yesterday and i imediately got to work, surprisingly my drivers side went in with absolutely no bending / denting / grinding / cutting or anything of the sort easy 5 min install bolted up and ready to go. HOWEVER my passenger side is quickly turning into a nightmare. First we got them in from the underside and as we tried to fit them without the starter they wouldn't seal to the head right, so we dropped em out and ground away the a-arm mount where they were hitting, all fine and dandy they bolt right up flush against the head good to go. Now my starter is a smaller full size starter. We installed the starter and header at the same time and as i bolted the starter into place and torqued it down i asked my buddy to bolt the header up, he was only able to get the first 3 bolts in from front to back and said the back was too low. He was right im about 1/4 an inch away on the back 5 holes. I seem to not be hitting the starter body itself but the actual mounting bracket on the starter with the bolts. My question really comes down to is an LT1 starters mounting bracket smaller than a standard chevy starter bracket? I really do hope so being barely 1/4 inch away from having these things on is driving me insane. Any suggestions on starters would be great. Thank you.

 

I had no problems with the standard full-size starter on mine.

 

had no problems on either my 86 or my 82 only diff is im running a stock starter for a 5spd 3rdgen

 

There are only large and small starters, if you have a "smaller full size (assuming full size truck) starter" that's the LT1 starter, they're identical. You have something else going on, mine went directly in with no issues. Try loosening the front bolts and put the centers in first leaving them real loose, then move back, then forward. If it comes down to it put a small dent in the primary where it needs to be shrunk.

 

ok I just returned the starter i bought yesterday it was not a mini starter. I was given an actual mini starter but the bolt holes are not made for my block, they wont line up, but i compared the two at the counter and there was a considerable difference in diameter of the starter drive and mount so hopefully this will solve my problem, I've heard from numerous thirdgeners around town that they had absolutely no problems on the passenger side even with a full size starter, yet all had horrible stories about the drivers, and were shocked when i told them that i had not a single problem and a 5 min installation on the drivers side. I have the new starter on order for tomorrow morning so I will post results after it arrives and its bolted up

 

What size flywheel are you using, and what vintage is your block?

 

and just because i am either ignorant or stupid, what part number headers?
thanks

 

Hedman 68460 Long Tubes, 168 Tooth flywheel, 84 block out of a C-10 pickup

 

There you go. The larger diameter flywheel mounts the starter farther out. The 68460s were designed to work with the 153 tooth flywheel and starter that was used stock on these cars.

 

Ok I've got a major problem then, would a mini starter solve this problem? The starter ordered is from a local speedshop and I've known the guys for awhile so they didn't charge me to order it but if a mini wont work I'm gonna have to go a different route.

 

Maybe... you're using a 700R4 though, so why not just replace the flexplate for $30 or so?

 

True, i believe the replacement flexplate from the same guys is only $42 at least the 168 was, I've had to replace it before when it cracked. I'll give that a shot, unless they come back to me tomorrow with a starter that will fit and is small enough to clear.

 

You should beable to make it work. I have ran both the large/small starter styles on my 168tooth flex plate. I did have to grind a little on the aluminum case on the starter to get the primary to clear, but either that or a dent in the primary should make every thing line up. Only other thing i could think of is possibly your heads position the exhaust mounting bolts a bit higher on the motor causing more inference.