Starter help please!!!

[GMCjunkie]

Hey yall, not long ago I asked for info for installing the shims for my starter. I had someone put a brand new starter on my truck, not long after I got it back it was making that horrible grinding noise. I got the shims and today I dropped the starter, as I suspected, no shims were installed with the starter. but, when I got the starter down where I could see it, I see what looks like a big crack in it. Im not real familiar with the starter, fact is I havent touched my truck in almost 3 years. can someone tell me if this starter is toast or ?

Thank You!

[71GMCinTN]

Mine cracked like that, but into two pieces. If you had another old starter, it's real easy to change the housing.

[junkyardjohn]

YEP... SORRY JODIE.. IT'S NFG. I WOULD DEFINATLY GO BACK TO THE INSTALLER (IF YOU PAID A SHOP TO DO IT) & I'M SURE THEY'LL STAND BEHIND IT. IF YOU REPLACE IT YOURSELF (YOU CAN SEE) IT'S A SIMPLE 15 MINUTE JOB... TWO BOLTS & TWO WIRES. 99% OF THE TIME YOU DONT NEED ANY SHIMS. JOHN

[Shyguy]

I have been working on cars and trucks for many moons, lol, and have never had to use shims when replacing starters as long as I did not go with the aftermarket high torque ones.

I may have been just lucky, though.

[GMCjunkie]

Thanks guys. Just went and got a replacement, as I said the cracked one was new, not even 50 miles on it. The guy at Napa, (older guy I really trust, been goin there for years) said to go ahead and shim it, that it couldnt hurt. Had to go back to Valdosta ga to get it, was beautiful (but hottern 400 h3lls). Just got back to Fl, rainin like a big dawg, lol....so wait it out I reckon,

Thanks again guys,
wish some of yall lived closer, truck buddies are awsome

take care
junk

[rusty baker]

Never put a shim in a inline 6 or v-8, but those v-6's all seem to need shims.

[GMCjunkie]

ok... wasnt raining UNDER my truck..lol. Starter is in. now battery is dead. Brand new battery too, it had only been sitting about a week and a half. I can exchange the battrey no prob. but why would it be dead already? any ideas?

[rusty baker]

Short?

[Field and Son]

I put a new starter in mine-lasted a few months and started that grinding thing. Pulled it out, threw it away and put an old one on from a junk yard. Just seems that more and more, the new parts are crap.

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by Field and Son

I put a new starter in mine-lasted a few months and started that grinding thing. Pulled it out, threw it away and put an old one on from a junk yard. Just seems that more and more, the new parts are crap.

right, thats why if you find a good quiet starter or have one already, when it needs service i always carry mine to a rebuilder, same with alternators i have had some that worked better than they did new

[71longbed-brew]

double check your timing .. i've heard too much advance can put alot of strain on the nose

[truckdude239]

start with one shim you could have a bad altentar pulling off the battery while not running

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by GMCjunkie

ok... wasnt raining UNDER my truck..lol. Starter is in. now battery is dead. Brand new battery too, it had only been sitting about a week and a half. I can exchange the battrey no prob. but why would it be dead already? any ideas?

HI JODIE.. YOUR BATTERY MIGHT JUST NEED RECHARGING. YOUR BAD STARTER MIGHT HAVE HAD A DEAD SHORT CAUSING A DRAIN ON YOUR BATTERY. YOUR BURB IS PROBABLY JUST SCREAMING FOR SOME ATTENTION (JUST LIKE A KID OR A DOG). THEN EITHER CHECK YOUR VOLTAGE OUTPUT WITH A VOLTMETER, OR WHEN IT'S RUNNING, TAKE EITHER CABLE (POS. OR NEG.) OFF YOUR BATTERY POST. YOUR ALTERNATOR SHOULD PRODUCE ENOUGH JUICE TO KEEP THE MOTOR RUNNING WITHOUT A BATTERY. IF IT KEEPS RUNNING YOUR CHARGING SYSTEM IS O-K, & THE BATTERY IS SUSPECT. IF IT DIES IMMEDEATLY, IT'S NARROWED DOWN TO THE ALTERNATOR OR THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. BAD BRAND NEW PARTS AREN'T ALL THAT UNCOMMON ANYMORE. UNFORTUNATELY. JOHN

[GMCjunkie]

Thanks everyone!! Wow, great information. I figured that with my truck sittling with minimal running time for almost 3 years that there would be lots of stuff Id have to fix or replace, i guess this starts the process, lol. Discovered I have tranny fluid leaking from somewhere too. lol. never ends.

thanks again!!
junk

[Boog]

Original starter nose cones are stronger than the aftermarket pieces. Busted nose cones like on yours are common among big blocks. There is a starter bracket intended for the sole purpose of preventing this sort of thing. Mounts to the tail end of the starter and bolts to the side of the block. Quite often they get tossed. Maybe someone can offer up a pic of one. Shims are only a bandaid for a poor fitting aftermarket starter nose cone. I've never seen factory installed shims.
More and more we see higher parts prices and lower quality parts. I've had more sudden battery failures in the last 5 yrs than I've had in all my many years of driving.

[GMCjunkie]

where would I get an original rebuilt starter?