Help Me With my starter Problem!

[birddogg]

Any one know how to fix my starter grinding on my flywheel?
I am completely stumped. I have a '71 K5 Blazer and the starter Grinds the flywheel for some reason. DON'T TELL ME TO SHIM THE STARTER!!! Many people have told me that and I have put up to 6 shims and it still does it.
The engine is bored out has a 850 cfm 4 barrel edelbrock carb w/ high rise intake, headers and a gear drive. there is a small oil leak that gets on the starter but it only does that after I cut it off.
PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[dirtwarrior17]

doese it grind when you turn it over or after it starts? Probably the bendix spring in the starter. could be stripped gears too.

 

[darkshadow]

hummm i really want to say shim it

do you have your starter install kit?

it comes with a small round rod that is for checking you clearance. pull the dust cover and check the starter gear to flywheel clearance. mabey you starter is bad in some way that makes it need a mastive amount of shims???


if you got some spare coin grab a new one and see it that clears it up.

how is the fly wheel wearing? the instal kit will show you how thae wear need to be shimed

 

[dirtwarrior17]

1 you can pull it off and take it apart and check the spring and the cleareance while your at it. You'll save about 50 bucks over a new starter if its just the spring. My moms mustang had this problem.


2 you can go to a junk yard or auto shop and get one (then use the old one for an oakie make shift winch. gotta love an electric motor that produces 150 + ft lbs.)


3 you may need a new flywheel.

 

[birddogg]

More Help Please

I have put new starters on and I can get only a couple starts before it starts grinding again. Could it be because the engine is bored out?

 

[dirtwarrior17]

you probably need a flywheel.....

autozone has heavy duty flywheels that won't do this again for a long, long time for 50 bucks. I bought one for my 88.

could be spacing too but if you've put new ones on its probably the flywheel.

 

[R72K5]

only need ot shim a starter out so that the pinnion gear shaft is 1/8" away from the end of the flywheel teeth points,

what diameter flywheel you have/how many teeth, and what bolt pattern start you have ?

 

[dirtwarrior17]

DON'T TELL ME TO SHIM THE STARTER!!! Many people have told me that and I have put up to 6 shims and it still does it.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[dyeager535]

Not sure exactly how you are supposed to be able to do this, but with the bendix gear extended (engaging the flywheel/flexplate) there should be the thickness of a *large* paperclip between the teeth.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

What does the flywheel look like? Is it worn or in good condition?

 

[towdriver80]

I had the same problem, and tried everything. It ended up not being a starter problem at all. The flywheel was hitting the inspection cover, but only when the starter was engaged. Try checking your inspection cover for any rub marks.

 

[diesel4me]

GM starters always noisy somewhat

Most chevy starters make some noise when starting--if you have no broken teeth on the flexplate or starter drive,the starter drive unit or the solenoid not engaging the gear far enough into the flywheel can make it sound like its stripping the gears,usually its improper alignment of the starter and the flexplate gears...some motors with high compression will not crank over properly if that little bracket on the other end of the starter case to the engine block (towards the front of the truck) is missing--I know its death to leave it off on a diesel!!

I had a few starters that were still too far away from the flexplate,even with NO shims!---I took a course file and filed it down almost 1/16 of an inch,then tried it again--it was too close now,so THEN I could add shims and get it set to the 1/8 inch gap between the shaft on the starter and the OUTSIDE of the flexplate teeth( I use a 1/8 allen wrench as a gauge)--put it back in for the 4th time,and it cranked over nice,no more stripping noises--I think some starter noses get switched around on chevy's when they rebuild them sometimes,I've run into this more than a few times...

 

[dyeager535]

I think some starter noses get switched around on chevy's when they rebuild them sometimes,I've run into this more than a few times...

Which IMO is a good reason to keep the original nose cone that your truck came with, even if getting a new starter. The nose cone is the ONLY thing that sets up your "gear mesh", and if one works, why get rid of it and potentially have problems like this?

I've been lucky on the last couple rebuilt ones I've gotten, no shims required, but from here on out if I am not lazy, I'll swap noses if they go bad.

 

[diesel4me]

not a bad idea!

A mechanic friend of mine keeps the old starters and pays the core charges when installing a rebuilt one--more than once he's had to swap the old nose onto the rebuilt one!--I think its because some caddy and buick motors use a similar nose with the same bolt pattern,but is slightly taller than a chevy starter nose that couses this problem--the rebuilders cant easily identify them,so they just throw any old nose that will bolt on and hope for the best..

Most times when I have a starter gear mesh problem,its due to the nose being too far away,even without any shims--thats when the file comes out!--I wish I had a surface grinder or a belt sander for that chore sometimes,the file isnt the most accurate way to reduce the height,but it works...

Then there is the "NO SHIM" starter like the one in my diesel--thats another story...

 

[SCOOBYDANNN]

If the starter is good, and flywheel is good and shimming dosnt work it could be the bolts arent tightening the starter completly to the block.

1. get new ones (good ones, not auto zone specials.)

2. believe it or not there is actually a bracket that connects the starter to the side of the block. the stud that comes out of the front of the starter that you think does nothing. well look directly above that stud on the side of the block and there will be 2 tapped holes. thats where the bracket goes.

thats what i had to do.