starter shims
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: miami fl
starter shims
how many shims should be place between the starter and engine or how much gap should the flywheel and starter gear meet. my starter gets jammed and won't retract until i loosen the bolts and it snaps back in this happens regularly
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 124
From: Wichita KS
Re: starter shims (Recoil)
Recoil,
The starter diagnostics section in the Corvette Shop Manual has a section on checking pinion to flywheel clearance (0.20" minimum) and how to shim the starter.
The starter diagnostics section in the Corvette Shop Manual has a section on checking pinion to flywheel clearance (0.20" minimum) and how to shim the starter.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 252
Likes: 3
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '12
Re: starter shims (Recoil)
Anybody who will listen,
Be very careful, if you start to hear grinding noises don't try to start it, because you don't want to have to replace the flywheel. If it grinds it just alittle to much you can wear a flat spot in the flywheel. Are you using the factory engine. I rebuilt my engine, turning my stock 79' L-48 (185hp) into a 385 stroker beast of a motor pushing over 400hp. Well, I tried to go cheap because I couldn't afford a racing starter and it cost me big. Somewhere between to much compresstion and to much vibration the motor was just tearing starters apart (radaling them to death). They were under warranty, but after the 9th starter the guys at AutoZone gave me my money back and refused to sell me another. Well because these starters were falling apart, they were moving them self further away from the flywheel and would eventually wear a flat spot on the fly wheel. After I went through two flywheel replacements (having to pull the engine up alittle, not very fun). I broke down and bought a racing starter, didn't have to shim it at all. If your not firmiliar with the termanolgy wearing a flat spot is where the starter actually grinds a spot on the flywheel and the starter spins the flywheel to that point and then you can just hear the starter engaging and spining, but not actually touching the flywheel. If the appendix is engaging and stick with the flywheel, the starter is to clost to the flywheel. Hope this helps somebody. :steering:
Be very careful, if you start to hear grinding noises don't try to start it, because you don't want to have to replace the flywheel. If it grinds it just alittle to much you can wear a flat spot in the flywheel. Are you using the factory engine. I rebuilt my engine, turning my stock 79' L-48 (185hp) into a 385 stroker beast of a motor pushing over 400hp. Well, I tried to go cheap because I couldn't afford a racing starter and it cost me big. Somewhere between to much compresstion and to much vibration the motor was just tearing starters apart (radaling them to death). They were under warranty, but after the 9th starter the guys at AutoZone gave me my money back and refused to sell me another. Well because these starters were falling apart, they were moving them self further away from the flywheel and would eventually wear a flat spot on the fly wheel. After I went through two flywheel replacements (having to pull the engine up alittle, not very fun). I broke down and bought a racing starter, didn't have to shim it at all. If your not firmiliar with the termanolgy wearing a flat spot is where the starter actually grinds a spot on the flywheel and the starter spins the flywheel to that point and then you can just hear the starter engaging and spining, but not actually touching the flywheel. If the appendix is engaging and stick with the flywheel, the starter is to clost to the flywheel. Hope this helps somebody. :steering:
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 18,478
Likes: 3
From: Quincy IL
Re: starter shims (Neil350)
here's the easiest way that i know of and this was given to me by the guys at the local auto parts store, and i mean local, not autozone or pep boys. these guys are the real deal, the auto parts store before there were chain stores. i've used this method twice, once on my old 69 GMC p-up(RIP) and my vette,anyway, buy you a variety of thicknesses of shims and loosen up you bolts and slip a 1/8" allen wrench between the gears, shim accordingly. tighten bolts, pull out allen wrench, that should do it. the old boys used to hand out a copy of this method to anybody that bought shims. good luck.
