Jasonty

Well, it all started with a nice little grinding noise when I tried to start it. I finally got it started, and took it home immediately. I first checked the starter bolts to make sure they were tight. 1 was a little loose, so I tightened it up, the other just kept spinning. I figured the bolt hole was stripped out, so I took it to a shop to get a Heli-Coil put in. The dude called me back and said "There's nothing to put a Heli-Coil in" I went down and looked at it, and the outer bolt hole had a big half moon missing out of it. Pretty bad design by GM if you ask me. They should've put some more meat around this area. So I figured I needed a new block, but the guy at the shop called up a welding shop, and the welder said he could fix it. He said he was going to cut the part off of a block that was good, then cut off my bad part, and weld on the good part. I had very little faith that this would work, but I went down to check on the car yesterday after they worked on it for 7 hours, and it was done. Fired right up. $150 to repair my block is a lot better then replacing the block. Also, I don't know if Corvettes came with a starter brace, but I ordered one from the dealership anyways, and I'm gonna make it fit. I'm thinking that extra weight just hanging and bouncing over the years attributed to this. So just some FYI, put a starter brace on your starter. It was only $4.00. Hope this helps someone that has the same problem.

OkeeGuy

man...that sucks!
actually $150 for 7 hrs work is CHEAP...you got lucky there if you ask me...
also...i dont think its a poor design but you HAVE to run the front brace or this can and will happen...
chaulk it up to a lesson learned... :yesnod:
glad you got it runnin again!

isosceles

ouch! :eek: Thanks for sharing that. I need to get under mine and check that out. I'm looking for an excuse to drop a 383 in, but I'm not quite ready yet and hate surprises like the one you had.

Eddie 70

I have had my starter off more than once and I know there is no brace on mine. I guess I need to look into this one. Where is my assembly manual, hmmm...

Thanks for the post.

NHvette

I remember my 75 starter having an extra bracket that I had never seen
on other GMs that I owned. It went from one of the studs that hold the starter together .. up to the (? block or exhaust manifold ?).

Bummer - but good to see you got her fixed. Sounds like a decent price, too.
I hope it lasts for you.

:seeya

Matt Gruber

same thing, previous owner of my 72. he got another block and put 1/2 the pistons backwards :rolleyes: i also found a broken main bolt, i don't think he owned a torque wrench.
Yes i added the $4 bracket(he hadn't figured that out)
i would have loved to have tried JB weld :jester

TedH

Back in the 80's, my brother-in-law had the same problem with a 396; a chunk of the block broke off at the starter. He had the block welded (either having that part re-attached or another replacing it) and had no further problems.

73'Vette

Where can I buy that $4 bracket? I just recently changed the starter on mine, and I know I didn't see anything like that.

Shark Racer

Anyone know how much the HT MiniStarters weigh? I know it's at least 10 lbs less than stock. I have a feeling the light weight might save a couple people from performing 7 hours of welding on their cars. :)

-Steve


[Modified by Pacin'California, 8:28 AM 2/5/2004]

Jasonty

Funny you should say that... I had a MT starter on it, weighed about 8 lbs. I used it a couple times, then took the starter off because the Bendix went bad and put this Advanced Auto starter on. The block cracked a few days later. I don't know if the high torque from the mini starter contributed to an ongoing weakness or what, but after I get that mini starter rebuilt, I'm not putting it back on. The Starter Brace can be purchased from the dealership. I couldn't find it at any parts stores. It was $4.00. It bolts to the little stud at the back of the starter, and I'm pretty sure it mounts to the block in the same location as the battery ground wire. I went to the dealership to pick mine up today, opened the box up, and there was a gold Cadillac emblem inside. The dude said it got packed wrong, so he ordered another one. Should be here Monday. Good Luck all, AND BUY THAT BRACKET!!!

killain

I had a friend once weld teeth back on a stripped tooth flywheel. Worked excellent for 1/8 the cost of replacement. :smash:

BSeery

My 1980 came with the starter brace. It's needed because that stater is a heavy mother.

stickboy

:iagree: Although I took mine off when I put on my ministarter. Could figure out any easy way to reattach it. Plus the sarted weights alot less :yesnod:

LemansBlue68

That's why Chevy adds the little brace that bolts on the back of the starter which in turn bolts to the block! I've heard many horror stories of starter bosses breaking but all of them boiled down to that brace not being reinstalled when the starter was replaced. Sometimes the starter must also be shimmed so that the teeth in the bendix pinion mesh with the flywheel teeth correctly.

Not necessarily a bad design--just bad mechanics!

Consider that there are millions upon millions of Chevy's out there with this design. If even a fraction of them failed due to a design defficiency, GM would have gone broke covering the warranties by replacing cylinder blocks or entire engines.

Let 'er eat!

I've had at least two blocks with this problem. I'd say it is a bad design :skep: