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I removed the starter from my '69 427 and discovered that one of the mounting ears on the nose casting was broken. It's in the upper, inboard position, nearest to the flywheel. It may have been this way for a while because it looks like and old fracture.
if it is the original starter for your car definitely keep it. you can always get a replacement from a parts store for daily driving. original dated units are really expensive even with a small break.
I removed the starter from my '69 427 and discovered that one of the mounting ears on the nose casting was broken. It's in the upper, inboard position, nearest to the flywheel. It may have been this way for a while because it looks like and old fracture.
Based on the break that you have, I would say that it should be fine as long as you're using the correct starter bolts with it and the other ear (for this bolt) is not cracked. If you are going to reinstall it, I would recommend you be sure that you also install the brace that attaches the back end of the starter to the block. Many of these have gone missing over the years, but I'm a firm believer that the weight of the starter validates GM's reason for installing them.
There has been a lot of discussions of the differences between Chevrolet starters on the C1/C2 and C3 Forum as of late. Suffice it to say that if your starter is the correct one for your car, you'll want to keep it. It is too easy to turn it in as a core at you local auto parts store and end up with the low-torque starter, that will physically interchange, but is not the same. The core value of a correct BB starter can run in the hundreds.
If you have a local shop that specializes in starter/generator/alternator repair, check with them. They typically stock dozens of old starter cores and very likely have a cast iron nose just like yours that they can swap on for very little. If you're not sure who to look for, check with any local heavy equipment or large truck repair facility. They'll know who to see in your area.
Somehow I broke the ear on the starter on my '73 Corvette just like yours is a while back. I went to see my local repair guy and he swapped the noses for me for $5 with one he had. I asked him if he had a new bushing for the nose and he said sure and pressed a new one in as well. Total bill was $10. I gave him a $25 tip, and you can bet I steer as much business his way as I can.
When you install the [two] starter mounting bolts, first turn them in by hand to seat them. Then, torque the one without the damage around the bolt hole. Lastly, torque the one with the damage. You should have no problem.
You can have that fixed by any decent welder who knows what he/she is doing. They will build up the damaged area so that surface is just higher than machined surface. Then they will use a grinder to grind excess surface height to same as machined surface. Finally, if needed, they will drill out any over-fill that went into the bolt hole area. But, DO NOT allow them to drill the entire hole larger; only allow the clean out of hole in the area of the over-weld.
If that was my starter and I could find a decent welder that would do the job for $25-30, I'd get it fixed. Otherwise, I would just use it as-is, but use proper sequence to torque the mounting bolts.
03-05-2016, 02:30 PM
Broken Starter Nose, Junk or Run With It?
