'70 C10 Starter Issue

[Plan Boost]

I've looked around through the forums and found many discussions on crappy starters, but their symptoms are sort of different then mine. I've replace my flexplate and put two different starters on there, both work fine for literally a day, then I go to crank it the next morning and it starts to grind. I go to inspect the starters and the housings are cracked and bolts are bent. I torque'd them down, checked clearances and everything. I'm at a loss, I even put the original starter back on it and it broke the housing as well. The motor is "high compression", but nothing that crazy...

My main concern is if I'm missing a bigger issues. I don't want to keep wasting time and throwing starters at it when something else is wrong.

The next step to me is just buying one of the high dollar high torque starters from Jeg's. My ultimate goal is to just sell this truck and I wold feel awful if I sold it with a half-butt fix and it broke on the next owner...

[old Chevy guy]

Was it doing that before the flex plate change? Every time I've ever seen a starter do that it has been a clearance issue. Generally the gear getting caught engaged when the motor starts up. I know you said you checked for clearance. When it's working what does it sound like when cranking? Was the flex plate change to fix the starter problem? Is there any chance it's the wrong flex plate? Throwing out some ideas trying to get something to stick. Any chance the bell bolts could be loose?

[davepl]

Any chance you put the flexplate on backwards?

My brother had an issue like that and I asked him that a dozen times and he swore up and down that it was impossible - and eventually, several years and 3-4 starters later, he figured out that it was indeed on backwards!

[demian5]

Originally Posted by davepl

Any chance you put the flexplate on backwards?

My brother had an issue like that and I asked him that a dozen times and he swore up and down that it was impossible - and eventually, several years and 3-4 starters later, he figured out that it was indeed on backwards!

Agree - putting it in backwards would put the teeth closer to the rear of the truck... and it would be wonky and not sit flat. Better check that before you toast the fluid pump on the trans.

[old Chevy guy]

I wondered that too but wasn't sure it was possible to do.

[Plan Boost]

the starters sounded louder then usual, other then the volume it was normal. I replaced the flex plate because the original starter that caused all this destroyed the teeth when it broke.

I've double checked everything...torqued all the bolts, flex plate is installed correctly (ASE mechanic did the install), motor turns over fine, trans looks good. Will I cause any damage if the starter is shimmed to far away from the Flex plate? I think I can jerry rig the current starter to test it with a shim.

[geezer#99]

I bet you're not using a starter brace!
Like this.
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272580

[midniteblues]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

I bet you're not using a starter brace!
Like this.
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272580

Or the correct knurled starter bolts.

check your block real good for cracks around the bolt holes.

[Plan Boost]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

I bet you're not using a starter brace!
Like this.
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272580

I am using GM knurled bolts but have never heard of a starter brace are they necessary with mini starters? the starter that was on the truck was one of the little LT1 starters. I broke two of those, no brace on either one

[geezer#99]

I don't think the brace fits the mini ones. Not that you couldn't make one.
Maybe you need to wire in an interrupter switch in the hot wire to the distributor. Get her spinning over then flip the switch. Or pull back your timing.

[custom10nut]

What year is your engine and what type trans do you have? The starter you show in your picture is not a 70 starter. The proper nose cone for a factory SB/t350 has a bevel on it to clear the transmission, and seat the bendix gear correctly on the flex plate. You described the very same problem I had when I first bought mine. One of the POs had put a starter for a later model on it a shimmed the bejeezes out of it to try to get it to work. It took me quite a lot of frustration and an older dude who nKnew knew the right starter to fix it. Now my only issue is the hat soak off the header, but that's another subject

[Plan Boost]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

What year is your engine and what type trans do you have? The starter you show in your picture is not a 70 starter. The proper nose cone for a factory SB/t350 has a bevel on it to clear the transmission, and seat the bendix gear correctly on the flex plate. You described the very same problem I had when I first bought mine. One of the POs had put a starter for a later model on it a shimmed the bejeezes out of it to try to get it to work. It took me quite a lot of frustration and an older dude who nKnew knew the right starter to fix it. Now my only issue is the hat soak off the header, but that's another subject

I have no idea what year the motor is, but I have a 350 trans. does this starter look like the one you replaced yours with?it says "fits almost all GM V8 motors", lol

https://www.amazon.com/Chevy-Mini-Ra...MDXFCY8GCECGNS

[custom10nut]

The picture I posted is one of an old one I had. I know there are people that use the gear reduction starters, but I just couldn't get one to mate up the flex plate gear. I wish I could though