My truck died...

[tbsdontstop]

Well acouple of days ago my truck decided to die while we were moving and we had to tow it to storage b/c I dont know if it can be fixed with out pulling the motor. Well the problem is my starter fell off! I thought the bolts lossened up and when I climbed under to bolt it back up the one bolt is broken in the block and the other is intact but the block has a chunk missing from where the bolt was! Is there any way to fix this with out haveing to change blocks? I really dont want to change my block b/c I have a early 70's corvette 350 with a few mods. I really dont have the money to do it right now either but the motor its self is good as long as the starter stays up.....Plus I just dumped about 700.00 in new parts in it.....Please help me.

 

[Boondocks]

You can drill-out the broken bolt and chase the threads with a tap if necessary. The broken block piece, you may be able to pack the area with JB Weld, then drill and tap for the bolt. Be careful when you tighten the bolt down though.

I would consider this a temporary fix at best.

 

[chevyk5blazer666]

if it is a cast iron block. you can have someone come out and weld it cast iron is hard to weld but i know it can be done .and just drill and tap new holes .......im not shure how much it will cost

 

[gonecheenin]

This is a horrible way to do this
and not correct by any means, but i've seen people in a pinch mount it straight with the one bolt, then make a homeade bracket on the rear of the starter

it will work, but beware you'll be seriously stressing the single original bolt

 

[1-ton]

On a full size Chevy truck you should be able to drill out the broken bolt, and either run a tap through it to clean out the threads, or drill it out to put a heli-coil into it. You will need to remove the flywheel cover. This job is going to be a PITA.

As someone that wrenched on automobiles every day for a living for many years, and had to deal with this type of thing every day, all I can say is, "welcome to my hell".

Try doing this on a crankshaft snout...I have several times.

 

[diesel4me]

put in a manual 4 spd..

If you put in a SM465 4-speed,the starter bolts to the bellhousing,not the block!--its a costly conversion though,and you'd be better off to get a whole 4 speed truck to cannibalize the parts from rather than peicemeal it..but its better than junking an otherwise good running engine..

The block COULD be welded with nickel rod by an experienced welder,but its a tricky proposition,and it might not last..

One guy who had your problem put in a 153 tooth flexplate instead of the 168 tooth one that used the "staggered" bolt pattern starter,and he used the "straight across" bolt pattern starter for the 153 tooth flexplate...that way the starter bolted into one of the "other" holes formerly unused..but one bolt of the two is used on BOTH styles,so if THAT is the bolt hole thats broken,you might be screwed..

I see enough posts about broken starter mounts on chevy engines that I'd think someone would have come up with a solution for this dilema...other than replacing the block or motor!--somebody should invent a starter that bolts on differently to "repair" engines like this..

 

[tbsdontstop]

thanks anymore advice

 

[muddog]

If you put in a SM465 4-speed,the starter bolts to the bellhousing,not the block!--

Ummm....I have never seen this on a v8 chevy....can you tell me what years.. I cant think of any small block chevy that bolted to the bellhousing actaully

 

[diesel4me]

well...

My 72 K5 had the starter bolted to the bellhousing--I think GM changed the style of starter in the mid 70's when the aluminum bellhousing came upon the scene to the staggered 2 bolt style,the same as the automatics used..

I had swapped in the SM465 from another 72 K5,but I think all GM trucks with manual 4 speeds and cast iron bellhousings had the starter bolted to the bellhousing from the 60's to about 1975,1973 being the first year I've seen SOME alumunim bellhousings appear--but I've seen 75-76 trucks that still had the iron bellhousing,and as far as I could tell they were original to the truck..

 

[dyeager535]

That'd be EARLY stuff, I'm assuming pre-AL bellhousings.

Sounds like a pretty good fix actually, replace bellhousing vs. replacing block!

 

[muddog]

Good info..is that the 420's or 465's

 

[R72K5]

this was the case for all manual trans trucks 72 older

3 speeds included, all manual trans


SM318, 326 and 330 three speeds

and Sm420 and CH465 and the NP435 and 435CR and the T10 4 speeds also,

they were all iron bellhousing with three bolt starter iron nosecone bolted to bellhousing regardless of tranny model

there were no block mounted starters in trucks before 73 except for auto trans equipped ones

from factory*

 

[DavidB]

I'm no chevy guru, but I make a living fixin' stuff...can we get a picture? I'm sure someone could come up with something. -David