hello folks i need to know if i need to shim the starter on my 82 pace car i just put the crossfire 305 back in after being rebuilt 17 years ago and never started the original starter was long gone when i got the engine so i need to know if i shim it and how many to use

 

If we could tell you that, they wouldn't be shims; they'd already be part of something.

Most of the time they're not needed. Put it together without one and see how it works. If you don't like it, add one, see if it's better. Keep adding em until it gets as good as it's going to get and starts acting worse.

Don't even bother if it's good as-is.

 

No way of saying for sure. It's all about the block and the starter. 1 combo may need shims, next one may not.

Put it together without shims, use a screwdriver to pop the gear out and engage with flexplate/flywheel teeth. Use a straighten out paperclip/gem clip to check the clearance.

The perfect clearance is where the paper clip is a snug fit in the gap between starter drive gear and flexplate/flywheel.

If gap is too small to fit the paper clip you need a shim across both holes or a half shim on inboard bolt only

If gap is too large and paper clip moves around alot you need a half shim on the outboard bolt only.

Start with .015" shims, do not add more than 3 total