I need help picking the best starter for my 383 with 168 tooth flexplate. I just ate my 2nd starter in 2 weeks while tuning and what not on my build. I've been using a cheap lifetime o'reillys 400 sbc staggered starter. my 383 puts 358 rwhp 438 rwtq on the dyno. please suggest something I can get at autozone or o'riellys, i don't feel like waiting for shipping times I need to have my car going asap.

 

Vortec 350 (1996-2000) truck mini gear reduction starter... About $90-110 at any parts store. Small light weight and has the power. Be sure to get bolts for it as well as the std. starter bolts are too long and you can not put washers on starter bolts.

I have one on my 10.25:1 compression 355 in my S10. Has worked great for the last year or so.

 

maybe figure out why you are eating starters before getting the vortec truck starter..

 

The starter doesn't really care abut your HP and torque; if it'll run on pump gas, then it has low enough compression to work. It shouldn't tear up.


If it makes that horrible grinding / tearing kind of racket that you can hear from a half-mile away, and it gets worse (or quits working altogether) if you add shims, then your problem is a bit deeper than just needing this or that starter.

 

Why you running a 168 tooth flywheel? I ran the stock 350 one with my 383 and a balance plate. Way easier haha

 

thanks guys, the guy who tuned my car suggested the same starter but just was wondering what you guys suggested. As for why I went 168 tooth short story I didn't know any better and the reason for killing two starters, 1st one was not shimmed and was timing my engine with alot of LOUD kick backs until timing was found, 2nd starter was shimmed but tuner was trying to start it with my battery being pretty much dead and took a good while to start, when he finished doing his thing on the dyno he turned it off to showed me the numbers and went to start it to drive around town setting my shift points on my 4l60E and damn starter just clicks..

 

you checked all your electrical connections, right? also, the dead battery might be the reason your starter doesn't work..

 

got the smaller starter from a 96 truck but can't figure out which bolts to get

 

I found some that look close but look a bit long

 

Weird. Early 90s passenger car bolts went metric, but GM parts look-up shows a 3/8-16-4.33" bolt for a 98 truck.
Either way, you're in a hurry so junkyard / dealer for a truck of that era.

And washers can be used with starter bolts under the head. The part that actually matter is: the un-threaded shank of the bolt MUST set into the block where there's a counterbore just before the start of the thread.

Good luck.

 

If you shim/washer a std starter bolt enough to tighten on the vortec starter, the knurled place on bolts will not even be in the block to index the starter.


The vortec starter needs GM 14097278-Starter Mounting or
Doorman 678-107 bolts.

You can get the GM ones at any GM dealer, or order online. Alot of the part stores will have the doorman bolts in stock but not listed in the computer, so ask them to see/look in their racks of bolts. Most part stores keeps this behind the counter. Stand about belly high and has many pull out drawers full of bolts, fittings, clips etc

Those bolts should run about $4-6 each

 

thanks guys if I can't get them I'll try a hardware store and get some bolts that fit but won't have the knurl.

 

you need the knurl- it's what aligns the starter where it needs to be.

 

Yeah, don't shortcut now. You will be MUCH happier with how the starter performs with the proper bolts. They are NOT hardware store bolts. The right length and style bolt will fit in the starter like this:



Note there is part of the knurled shank that sticks through on the other side. This is ON PURPOSE. The bolt hole in the block is smoothbore for about the first 3/8", THEN the threads start.

 

Yep as others have said... You can not use a std. hardware store bolt on a starter... Sure it will go in and tighten up but after a few starts, the starter will move side to side and start grinding the teeth off the starter and/or flexplate...

You must have starter bolts with the knurled shank, and the bolt must be the correct length for the starter you are using

 

So I tried some hardware bolts until the Doorman 678-107 bolts arrived at the auto parts store, the starter didn't like them very much like said above it needed the knurl. I have the correct bolts in there now and it starts like a charm now. thanks