Starter woes

[Lippyp]

I must have done something wrong fitting or setting it up as my new starter now refuses to start. It spins but isn't engaging, whether it's just come loose or whether I got the alignment wrong and it's chewed the teeth off the flywheel I'm not sure. I'm going to get under it today and have a look. I have some shims so I'll see if it just needs shimming up. This is the first one i've done on an SBC and it's very different to all of the ones I've replaced in the past that bolt into the bell housing and don't need shimming to work properly. Any advice would be welcomed.


Just to compound my misery we have a bunch of crackheads moved into an apartment across the street that are dealing and causing all sorts of trouble, from break-in's to loud music all night. My wifes 01 Cherokee was keyed (scratched) down one side on Monday and at just gone midnight monday night we were woken up by voices near the house, after being burgled last year we are a little nervous so I took my trusty baseball bat and maglight and eventually I found two youths screwing on the fire escape of the building next door on a level with our bedroom window, she called me a pervert as I shone the torch on them (hey she was the one standing with her underwear in her hand after having sex on a fire escape!) and he threatened me with violence.

And then I found out last night that on Monday morning at 1am my parents who are 68 and 69, and my two sisters that still live at home were woken up by a huge crash as someone opened their front door with a crowbar, despite there being four cars on the front drive. The thieving b***ards must have run as the door hit the heater on the wall and made a huge crash (I remember trying to sneak in as a teenager when drunk and waking the whole house up doing the same!) as they didn't get into the house and take anything. Needless to say everyone was in shock, the Police came, and couldn't find anyone, which was because by that time they were in a street around the corner breaking into a friend of my parents house, they also broken into a car in my parents neighbours drive. The Police said that they must have been high, which is even more frightening. I think it's about time we brought back capital punishment for drug dealers and started hanging them in the town square! Anyone up for a lynch mob?

['68OrangeSunshine]

It's too bad your Crown took your guns away. A sharp report or 2 from a .45 colt [or .455 Webley-Vickers] might have cleared up a couple of social problems right then.
Gettting back to the starter on your SBC: it might be the solenoid. Here in the States you can take a dismounted starter into a local auto parts store and they'll test it for free. If you bought it from them it may have a lifetime warranty and they swap it out for you with a rebuilt one. Do you have the '67 Chevy Chassis Service and Overhaul Manuals? Bench testing is covered in there. The books are available from some of the vintage parts vendors. The manuals may even be available in CD format, but I don't know where.
Good luck. My Dad used to have a '59 Jag Mk IX. It would pass anything on the road but a repair shop. I had a '61 MBZ 190 until it blew a rod, then I bought my '68 Chevy truck and I've still got it. I appreciate your import-related frustration.

[70ChevyLongbed]

Phil,

First of all... sorry to hear about the crackheads and thieves, keep everybody safe and Crack Heads if you need to. (My dad always says crack heads when referring to a fight, or someone needing a beating. )

As for the starter... I've had two in a row go bad. The starters would start the engine only part of the time, it always 'sounded' like the starter was spinning, but the engine would not be turning over. Once you get the starter off, have it tested. The 'affordable' starters found at most parts stores just aren't that great, even brand new. Several other people here have had similar problems with starters. After having mine tested the parts guy would simple say "Yep, this one is bad." and give me a new one.

I don't think you need shims unless it makes a horrible loud noise while trying to start. I've been told that it could sound like a loud grinding or a loud whine, but that there isn't much doubt once you hear it.

[Lippyp]

I've just taken it off and it seems not to be meshing with the flywheel teeth properly and has just chewed a millimeter of the outside edge of the ring gear, do I need to add shims, can't take them away or what, I'm stuck now knowing how to proceed, this is the second starter as the first wouldn't even spin over. They are "Master Quality" reman units, probably made in Mexico looking at the amount of Spanish on the packaging. Is it possible that the starter gear isn't being thrown forward far enough, it looked like it had been greased on the second one, whereas the motor shaft on the first was clean and dry.

[70ChevyLongbed]

Now I don't know. I tried shims with mine and it still turned out to be the starter. Mine didn't chew into anything though. Hopefully someone that knows more than me will post soon. Sorry for the newbie answer... hope it works out.

[Palf70Step]

Sounds like the relay isn't engaging the starter gear enough. The arm from the relay to thestarter may be bent or sticking. If it is a new starter assembly, I'd just return it for another. sounds like a bad rebuild/remanufacture of the unit. Like was already mentioned, I'm not a fan of the "fast Food' chain parts for things like this. I just had the one in my 82 redone by a local auto electrician. I've never had problems with starter or other components when I do it that way.

[2low72]

My starter acts up on me when the engine is cold. don't know why but for some reason when the truck sits for 8 hours or more and i go to start it up the starter grinds the fly wheel. but if it's warm it doesn't do it. Any reason why that is?