Tech Question!!!

[chopperdawg80]

Ok, Here is what i have, 71 C10 longbed, with a 350 punched out .040 0ver (a 383 stroker), now my problem is that mystarter is not meshing with my flywheel 100% of the time, it usually starts up on the first crank, but after that its like the starter is moving away from the flywheel, i have used 2 differant kinds of bolts( the cheap aftermarket ones form auto zone and stock starter bolts from another 350 i found in a junk yard) also i have used 2 differant starters one for a 350 and one for a 400. I have replaced one flywheel already and am trying like the devil not to have to replace a second one!! does anyone out there know what could prevent this, or what i have to do to get this engine to just crank over normally? any advice i can get would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance for this!

[hchad18]

You might have to use some shims to space the starter away from the flywheel. Sometimes missing can be confused with to tight and binding and the clutch inside the starter slips and makes a a high pitched sound like the starter is spinning and not engaged. Try shimming it and see if it helps.

[57larry]

shims!

[mikajo39]

Agreed shims!

[chopperdawg80]

i have tried, 1/64th shim and a 1/32nd shim. sorry i should have put that in the initial question i forgot to. but thank you for your advice!

[292farmer]

is the starter for a automatic or manual transmission? my buddy trans am the starter wouldn't work because the gears on the starter were a different size being for a flexplate and his was a flywheel believe the teeth were a little smaller, i know thats a car and a pontiac but i thought id throw it out their.

[mclairmo]

You have not really clearly explained to us what the problem is. You say the starter is not "meshing". How can you be sure of that? Have you checked visually? Please describe the noises you hear and let us know if the bolts you are using have the required knurls that keep the starter aligned properly. Also, you may have to drop the trans dust cover and check the pinion gear engagement with the flywheel. With the pinion all the way out and engaged with the flywheel teeth, you should only be able to slide a paper clip in there snugly (between the the top of a tooth of the pinion gear and the valley between teeth in the flywheel). Too much clearance, and you will hear grinding. Too little clearance, and the pinion may not engage and will chatter. I would guess that you do not need any shims. Try no shims wiht the correct knurled bolts and see if that gives you the correct clearance.

[toddtheodd]

I wouldn't use stock bolts from a junkyard as they will already have been stretched.
Also, do you have the little bracket on the back of the starter hooked up? Goes from the starter to the block.

[chopperdawg80]

the nopise i am hearing is a grinding noise, i have used the kneraled bolts with no shims this last time and it started once with no problem, then after the engine was secured i tried to start it again, and imediatly it went to grinding, i can see the teeth on the flywheel that are getting ground down, the bindex on the starter is good so far.

[69GMCLonghorn]

A buddy of mine had a 350 that he punched out to 383. Until the day he sold it, the starter gave him problems. He even spent around $175 on one of those ridiculous racing starters that claimed to be for his application. He still had to Micky Mouse it.