URGENT need help

[78Suburban]

I really, really need some advise. Tonight I removed the cover from the flywheel/torque converter because of the starter slip I've had every now and then. I looked at the flywheel and found that about 6 of the teeth had around 1/16 of the teeth chipped off of the front side. Is this what has been causing the starter to slip occasionally????? Is it possible that I could remedy this by shipping the passenger side of my starter bolt???

is this flywheel cover plate supposed to have a small hole in the bottom or does mine just have one knocked in it?

please help me know what to do yall, I really would rather not pull my motor and put on a new flywheel. I would be forever greatful for any advise.

 

[readymix]

There should be about .030 gap beween the bendix gear and the flywheel. To make it easy that is roughly the size of a small paper clip. If it too close then you should shim the pass side of the starter down.

The hole in the bottom of your inspection cover is normal. If it bothers you that there is no cover then go get one from a junk yard. There was one there at some time during the trucks life

 

[78Suburban]

I was thinking about shimming it a shade closer to the flywheel so that it would be less apt to slip off of the scarred fly wheel teeth (is this idea valid?) How do I get the bendix gear to line up with the flywheel, from what I can see it sits away from the flywheel when the truck isn't starting.

thanks

 

[readymix]

apply 12Vdc to the solonoid.....be sure to unwire it from the starter motor or itwill spin...and probably hurt a little.

Or you could just pry it back a little if possible. Not sure if you could reach anything up in there though.
You really should shoot for the .030 mark. Less will grind teeth and more will break them

 

[78Suburban]

I think the clearance is pretty good because it starts perfectly 90% of the time. I think the other times are when that bad part of the flywheel is lined up with the starter. So is there a way around having to replace the flywheel? If I leave things how they are and always let off of the starter the second it slips, could I get away with it, or will I blow up my transmission and ruin my life?

 

[readymix]

First, the most common cause of what you are explaining is the starter going bad. More specifically the bendix section. Not the prime mover. I doubt that you have completely stripped off any teeth on the flywheel/flexplate.

On that note, if you leave it be, the only thing you will damage is the starter and the flywheel. The worst case scenario would be shearing off a starter bolt in the block but i doubt that would happen.

 

[Mad-Dog]

You can't shim it closer to the flex-plate...only farther away
Gm starters don't always need to be shimmed, sometimes the mounting boss is actually too thick and must be ground down to bring the startewr housing closer to the block.
Severe problems as you are having require removing the starter and disconnecting the strap that supplys current to the motor, re-install the starter and use a remote switch to engage the solenoid while under the truck and visually inspect the engagement process to determine the correct remedy.
Whether it be shimming 1 or both sides or grinding the pad..

 

[senatorwoodhouse]

I dont know if this will make you feel any better or not .....but you dont have to pull the motor to change the flywheel. Just drop the tranny & tcase I have found that is easier than pulling the motor. Just have someone hold the motor still by puttign a wrench on the main bolt on the harmonic balancer. Good luck

 

[73k5blazer]

I used to have a '76 malibu with this problem, flexplate gear had missing,chipped teeth for whatever reason. I ran it that way (as a poor college student) for about a year, just kept having to change the small gear on the starter (about $8), a fresh gear there worked great for a month or two. Then there was always the time when the engine stopped right at the exact point where the two missing teeth on the flexplate gear right next to where the starter gear would engage, I'd crank and hear a nasty grinding, when I heard that, just got out, grabbed hold of the belts and crankshaft pully best I could and cranked over the engine by hand a few degrees, got back in and she started right up!

 

[78Suburban]

I got my Dad to pick up a shim kit today, but I feel that I would just be grasping in the dark by using that. I wounder if the starter off my old '66 c-10 with a 283 motor would work. I need to go look and see if its an offset bolt pattern like my burban... What are the chances it would be the right cone and tooth count?

 

[diesel4me]

Easier way out...

You dont need to engage the starter drive gear to the flywheel--you cn measure the clearance more easily like this...

Look at the starter drive--see the shaft that it slides on?(The aramture of the starter motor itself)..measure the clearance between the OUTSIDE of the flywheel and that shaft--use a 1/8 inch allen wrench or drill bit to "measure" the space--you should just be able to slide it snugly between them!--THAT is the proper clearence needed...shim it if its too close,by putting the shim(s) under EACH bolt on the starter..

If its too far away(most likely in your case)--you can shim ONLY the outer bolt on the starter to tip it in towards the block--I prefer to remove the starter and have some stock milled off,(a course file will work if your careful to keep it square)--then if its too close,shim it as needed to get the correct clearance..(having the starter "cocked" does not set well with me--I see too many broken blocks and stater noses doing the way GM says too by shimming just the outer starter bolt..

The starter on your 66 283 motor is probably the "straight across" bolt pattern style for the 153 tooth flywheel...if its a 4 speed its completely different ,nose bolts to the bellhousing...the motor itself could be swapped onto your existing nose,but its a lot of work..starters are not too expensive,I'd get a rebuilt or fix whats wrong with yours...