I have a 1989 Camaro 305, used to be TBI and recently converted to carb. I was bolting my starter back on after a solenoid replacement, and the outboard bolt broke the bolt hole, not sure if it bottomed out or what, but it cracked off that part of the block where the mount hole is. That part that broke off broke into two pieces. The bolt just fell back out, and now there is no way I can bolt it back up. Does anyone have any info on how i might get this fixed? I called a machine shop and they said that they could weld it back up, but the starter would have to be permanently affixed to the block, since the welding would have to be done while the bolt was in the hole.. not sure if I want to do that. It also appears that there is a 3rd bolt hole, just forward of the inboard starter bolt hole, that was not used to mount my stock starter. Is there a kind of 3 bolt starter that i can use, and just not mount the outboard bolt? What are my other options? Could i use a mini-starter and drill/tap new holes in a more confined shape? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yea, I've also read a little bit about bellhousing-mounted starters. Does anyone know if that is possible to change out my bellhousing, or buy a bracket for mine where I could mount a starter to that? Thanks everyone.

 

instead of welding the starter permanently why not weld a stud in there.. then you'd need a nut to take it off. Id use two nuts because to keep one from backing off the other and thread locker.. depend on how bad it is. my first idea was epoxy molded clay, the ones used for exhaust repair? the kind you roll in a ball in your hands and shape, not the liquid stuff. but i like the studded idea. never happened to me knock on wood

 

That seems to be a great idea... especially because where the casting broke, it broke off where half of the hole is still on the block, so it would be easy to get a bolt in there, lined up to exactly the right spot. I don't know much about welding, but i will certainly look into it. Thank you so much for the help. As for the epoxy idea, how strong is that stuff? How well would it adhere to the cast iron? I think the welded stud is probably my best bet. Anyone else have any input on that idea?

Thanks again, great thinking

 

Welding cast iron cold is touch and go. Make sure you get someone that knows his stuff or you'll be looking for another block. Welding the starter to the block is just dumb.

 

+1
That is a dumb thing fora machine shop to say.

If you get somebody who is very good, they should be able to weld the block and then-tap the hole to clean it out.

 

Yea, agree with toehead. I would look for a good welder. Should just have to weld it,drill the hole within a quarter inch(that measure is just a rough guess) of the thread size then tap it to match the bolt thread. Sounds easy but I would leave it to a pro tho. My only concern with the threaded stud is if it may have mounting issues. Dunno how far the stud will stick down,just make sure you leave enough room to mount/remove the starter whenever needed. I know it can be a little bit of a tight fit with the starter tho.

So yea,my 2 cents,fix back to how the factory made it and don't try it yourself,lol,leave it to pro. Food for thought. Good luck.

 

Another option is to just buy a staggered bolt pattern starter. They are pretty cheap, maybe cheaper than paying someone to weld up a stud.

 

you cant just change from a straight bolt starter to a stagger bolt starter you also need the correct flywheel/flex plate to match the starter

 

food for thought, like burritos, i like that.

 

Just braze the two pieces back in.
I cracked mine, and I just used high nickel welding rods, and a lot of pre-heat. Then I used a grade 8 stud and a nut, that way it doesn't stress the block as much.

"weld the starter in place"? I'd stay away from that shop altogether. That's a red flag comment.

You can't use the staggered bolt pattern starters in a 3rd gen camaro, the bellhousing is too small.

 

classicchevy.com sells a starter plate adapter for mating a TH trans to a pre-57 265 v8 that did not have starter mount holes on the block, they were on the trans bellhousing. it simply goes in between the bellhousing and the block, you get a starter for a 55-56 bel-air and the flywheel to match, AND PRESTO! problem fixed. it costs about $100, and i priced the starter for $50 at local parts store. i recently purchased the kit, and will be installing it soon, ill post on how it goes.

heres the link for the starter plate-
http://www.classicchevy.com/product....8&dept_id=1315

 

Makes life easy .
I have studs in my block.Just slide starter up and put nuts on.No trying to hold heavy starter up while trying to get a bolt started stuff
When installed studs need to be about 3/4" longer than starter pad thickness


And the offset starter for 168 tooth flywheel still uses the outer bolt hole ;which in this case is broken

 

If the block is on a stand, I'd suggest you try either brazing on the peice that broke off, tap it, then use a stud (to minimize the load on the repaired spot), or if the broken peice isnt savable, use brazing to rebuild the area, drill it and tap it, put in the stud, and braze the stud into place.

 

Install a phosphor bronze bolt in what's left of the hole. Clean the casting of all paint, oil, and residue.




Preheat the area surrounding the broken ear (brush the area after heating to give it a final cleaning). Weld the area surrounding the bolt with high nickel filler rod. Allow it to cool without quenching, keeping it warm with a torch for a a while to prevent embrittlement. Once cooled, shot pein the area and remove the bronze bolt.




Scrape the mounting pad flat, tap the thread clean and go back to assembly.

 

Hello, I am having some what of a similar problem as described, but with a chevy blazer instead. Picture included. Suggestions?

 

'56 Chevy starter bracket and compatible starter. Compatible with 168 tooth flexplates.