I saw a thread here a while back about a shim kit to cause the gear on the starter to extend further out when activated. Right now the gear and the flexplate mesh perfectly, however only the tip of the gear meets the flexplate. To be clear: I'm not talking about the thin shims between the starter and block. Does anyone know what I mean or know who posted the thread? Search turned up 150+ threads.

 

Starter shims on Chevy engines are to space the starter father below the centerline of the flywheel, which also causes more tooth clearance.

If your starter gear does not engage deeply enough, check the yoke between the solenoid and the bendix, and the pivot pin for it. Those are common areas for wear and bending. Many times the two pins that engage the bendix are worn flat, and the yoke can be removed, turned over, and reinstalled.

 

Thanks I'll check those areas. The thing is that I saw a thread on here recently of someone getting a rebuild/shim kit that actually caused it to extend further. I'm tossing my fullsize starter on there for now though.