454 starter issues

[tucsonjwt]

The Hitachi high torque mini starter was supposed to end the heat soak issue I had with my 454 with SM465, but now I have an intermittent squealing starter (instead of no start.)

I took off the flywheel cover and saw that the front facing edge of the teeth are all worn and shinny. So, I assume that the pinion gear from the starter is not extending far enough to engage the flywheel, or maybe it sometimes extends far enough and does not extend far enough at other times. When it does start it starts perfectly. It seems to me that adding shims would just move the starter farther away from the flywheel.

Anybody have a guess on how to proceed?

I got the Hitachi because it has 360 degree "clocking" which allows me to locate the solenoid and wiring on the bottom away from the exhaust manifold and the engine block. My first attempt was with a GM bowtie mini starter but that one could not be clocked, so the starter would drag and work hard from overheating.

From what I read, I have a 168 tooth 14" diameter flywheel and the block has three mounting holes (staggered) but the Hitachi was supposed to cover this with 4 inline mounting holes. I am using the holes which move the starter closest to the flywheel, and the other holes cause the starter pinion gear to be so far away that the pinion would not engage the flywheel.

[tucsonjwt]

I discovered that the mounting holes in the Hitachi mounting plate are slightly larger than the mounting bolts. Also, the flywheel cover on the front of the bell housing contacts the outer edge of the mounting plate but not the inner edge of the mounting plate. This means that the mounting plate causes the starter motor to be angled(either forward or backward) in relation to the flywheel.

So, I tried moving the starter mounting plate backward in the oversize holes, then moved it forward but I still got a starter grind/squeal. Finally, I angled the mounting plate forward at the inside bolt and that seemed to make it parallel with the flywheel - no grinding or squealing. This angling at the inside bolt compensated for the thickness of the flywheel cover which was in contact with the starter mounting plate at the outside bolt but not the inside bolt.

I also got a new Costco battery for the second start battery I have installed.

So far, this seems to have done the trick.

I was ready to take this truck into another shop for a $100 "inspection" plus actual labor cost, but I am glad that I took another look at it myself. I don't think any mechanic would have figured this out(and a lot of them have tried) because I don't think anyone would have considered the Hitachi mounting bolt holes and flywheel cover contact to be of any significance.

This is another case of Occam's razor - the simple solution is usually the correct solution.

[geezer#99]

I read somewhere that some of the newer mini starter's have metric sized holes and not the standard(imperial) size. Slightly larger like in your case.
Food for thought!!

[tucsonjwt]

That could be. I used the bolts furnished by Hitachi with the starter. I think the flywheel cover contacting only one side of the starter mounting base was responsible for most of the problem - starter not parallel to the flywheel.

[KQQL IT]

ACDELCO 3371022
been really successful on my hot rod 400 even 36° initial timing

[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

ACDELCO 3371022
been really successful on my hot rod 400 even 36° initial timing

Wow!!
36 initial!!
How did you lockout your distributor?

[KQQL IT]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Wow!!
36 initial!!
How did you lockout your distributor?

Was supposed to be 12° with 24° at 3000 rpms and somehow that detail got missed. ran great til 3000 the detonated bad with 60° or so. oops

[tucsonjwt]

That looks like a good starter, but I wanted a starter that I could "clock" and put the solenoid and wiring on the bottom - away from the exhaust manifold and engine block.

I have read some reviews that said that the ACD starter you referenced would not line up with a 454, which is what I have.

I actually installed a GM high torque mini starter (bowtie starter) and it worked but the starter still dragged when the engine was hot. I still have that starter and was trying to sell it but had no takers.

[S10Fan]

What are the cold cranking amps of your battery? What size battery cable are you running to the starter?

[tucsonjwt]

I have dual start batteries with standard battery cables linking them together, so theoretically I have double the start cold cranking amps(I think 700 CCA x 2). I have a remote solenoid. I am not sure about the solenoid to starter wire size, but it is bigger than the battery cable.

[S10Fan]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

I have dual start batteries with standard battery cables linking them together, so theoretically I have double the start cold cranking amps(I think 700 CCA x 2). I have a remote solenoid. I am not sure about the solenoid to starter wire size, but it is bigger than the battery cable.

Cool, a lot of starter issues can be related to poor cable size and or weak batteries.

[GRADYS Performance]

What part number Hitachi starter do you have?

[tucsonjwt]

Hitachi PSL 100

[GRADYS Performance]

That starter is not really designed to work with a 454. It's starting capacity is more suited to a small block application.

[tucsonjwt]

Of course, Hitachi says BB and SB, but I don't know.