Im having issues with replacing my starter....first off it took me 3 starters at napa before they gave me one that matched my other one & acualy fit then as soon as i put it on it started the car fine about 3 shots then it started skiping on the flywheel so i thought i might of needed shims so i put some on then again started fine once then started skiping.....so next i looked up on it and someone told me to buy new bolts wich i did...but...again one start then she was skiping......any ideas??? Need help would realy apreciate it!! Starting to get nice weather and its driving me crazy!!! Haha

 

Sounds like the starter bolts to me. All bolts are not the same. The sbc has atleast 5 diff length bolts that I know of right off the top of my head. The bolts depends on the starter you use.

The starter bolts must have the knuckled shank.

 

Also a week battery will not allow it to engage the flex plate properly. It will not through or turn the pinion the way it should.

 

Thanks for the reply! The battery in it is only about 3 weeks old and its a 800cca so i doubt thats the problem....i asked at a few parts stores and for some reason none of them can get bolts the only place i could fin some was at the dealer. Wich took 7 days to get and now that ive compared them they have about 1/4inch difference so ill go try to find some that will match my old ones....any sugestions other than dealer? Dont mind going there i just hate to have to wait another week

 

What block EXACTLY are we working on here? (casting # only please... not "stock", not "4-bolt main", not "out of a Vette", casting number ONLY)

 

Yes giving use the block ID and starter part # will help.

Auto zone/advance auto has some starter bolts in stock on the rack with all the "help" brand parts

 

Not sure im gona have to check tomorow i will let you know.....ran the serial # last year but i cant remember its a 350 tbi.....car was originaly a 305 tpi

 

Im in new brunswick canada so no autozone for me.....napa is pretty much the biggest for parts supliers around here the rest is all smaller distributors....i might just end up having to buy some online

 

Casting # on the block is 14093638

 

That block, being a late 80s and up one, will have the necessary hole.

Canadian Tire may well have the bolts. I just drive by one; didn't stop to look though.

 

Only bolts they had at canadian tire was a pack of 3 and one was too small & the other 2 were about 1/4 inch too long

 

What do you mean by necesary hole?

 

necessary hole = the hole you'll need so you can bolt up the starter for the 12.8" flywheel: the circled one in this pic.

 

There is quite a few diff length stock chevy starter bolts. It's based on the starter you are using.

The 96-00 vortec and the LT1 mini starters uses the Dorman number 678-107 4-5/16" or GM number 14097278 4-21/64"

Aftermarket mini starters uses either 3.7" or 4.45" long

Then with other full size factory starters you got units that use 1 long, and 1 short, or 2 longs, or 1 long and 1 med. length.

The length on those 3 bolts are 1-7/8", 3-5/8", 4-5/8"

Remember... NO WASHERS under the bolt heads. Starter uses the knuckled shank and larger dia. shank of bolts to index the starter to the block.

 

The starter i bought is a napa premium starter....its 1 short bolt & one long one...i cant seem to find any bolts other than the ones i got at canadian tire wich were too long...

 

Just a thought could it be missing teeth on the flywheel? I had this with my car years ago.

 

Hey just thought of this. I got a couple sets of factory starter bolts I can measure if needed and if you can't come up with anything I will let a set of these go for $5 + shipping

 

I just got some bolts odered they should be in tomorow hopefully that will fix my problem....i still find it weird that just worn bolts would make it skip/grind that bad?....anyway i will let you guys know as soon as i try them out tomorow...thanks for the help!!

 

It's not about "worn"; it's about, that the correct bolts have a little "shoulder" feature right behind the threads, that fits TIGHTLY to both the starter and to the SPECIAL starter bolt holes in the engine block, forming a sort of dowel pin assembly which POSITIVELY locates the starter IMMOVABLY on the block. Regular bolts will allow the starter to move, inevitably AWAY FROM the ring gear, leading to misalignment, which produces anything from slow cranking and terrible noise, to completely missing the ring gear teeth.

 

Yep what sofa said. My 1st go around with the vortec mini starter ended with failure due to the same prob. The vortec starters takes a touch shorter bolts, I didn't think much of it. Put a couple of washers under the bolt heads and tightened it up. Starter never sounded right, 300 miles later I was left with no start/no turning of engine, ground down teeth on flexplate and trashed starter.

Did a little research found the correct bolts, got new flexplate and new starter and been working fine since and that was about 7 years ago

 

Well i finaly got my bolts and just like i suspected they dont fit....they thread in but there bot about 1/4 too long....at this point im geting pretty frustrated since ibhave no idea what to do next since i cant find the correct bolts anywhere.....any one have sugestions?