83 K20 cast torque converter cover for gear reduction starter?

[MARKDTN]

I have an '83 K20. Replaced the original 350 with one from a '90 Corvette. With the deal I got a Corvette gear reduction starter, but it did not fit the cast aluminum torque converter cover. I didn't want to modify it so I kept the original starter. Now 15 years later I need a starter. Is there a cover from a later year that will fit a 700R4 and a gear reduction starter and have the bolt mounts for the braces? Maybe like a '96 K1500? Or 4.3 4WD Blazer?

[hatzie]

Your bellhousing is not likely the source of your problem.
There are two different Chebby flywheel sizes. 12-3/4" 153 tooth and 14" 168 tooth. Are the original starter bolts diagonal to the crank or Perpendicular?
Diagonal or staggered bolts, depending on how you want to look at it, are used on starters for the 168 tooth flywheel.
Perpendicular to the centreline of the crank is the starter for the 153 tooth flywheel.

The stock GM gear reduction starter on the 1990 Corvette is less than a stellar performer when it gets hot. Much worse than the big heavy old Delco that came with your truck.
If you want a lightweight fast cranking starter, that doesn't get angry when you get it hot, get a gear reduction unit from an outfit with a good reputation or get your original unit rebuilt locally.
Whatever you do don't let the original unit go as a core. You'll end up with a cheap Chinese piece of garbage without the means to go back to the big heavy parts in the 1982 Delco.

[MARKDTN]

The bellhousing is not the problem. It seems the 4x4 bellhousing is drilled and tapped for a cast aluminum cover for the torque converter and real bolts instead of the plastic cover with self-tappers on a 4x2. There are also bars/struts bolted to the cover on mine. Something about the existing cover interfered with the gear reduction starter so I didn't use it at the time. I was just wondering if there was a factory cast cover for a 700R4 4x4 and a gear reduction starter.

[hatzie]

Should be struts forward to the motor mounts and a long strut to the transfer case. Don't leave those off. You'll break the bellhousing.

Look at the 4x4 4L60 dust covers GM put on the later T400 trucks.

What's interfering?

[MARKDTN]

Here is one on Ebay. He claims it fits through 98.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aluminum-Fl...4383.l4275.c10

You can see the lugs for the strut rods to the bottom from the motor mounts. I'll have to try my gear-reduction starter again. I thought there was an interference with the snout area of the gear reduction type starter but maybe I wasn't holding my mouth right.

[hatzie]

GM used the big Delco 10MT starter til 1994.
The 1995 and later smallblocks used the gear reduction starters.
The bolts get into the act too.

https://www.counterman.com/that-new-car-smell/

I think I'd just get the 10MT rebuilt and use it for another 35 years.

[MJN]

I think I have the cast cover you're looking for. I can get measurements if you want or the part number off of it. 95% sure it came from a TH350 though with standard big Delco starter, if that makes any difference.

[MARKDTN]

OK. I see the error of my ways. Went to the pick-a-part and looked at a bunch for trucks. Looks like the cover is the same. A Corvette gear reduction starter is different than a truck one. A truck one looks like a "slimmer" version of a large starter. A Corvette one is more like an LS style mini-starter-it doesn't have a snout really.