78 C3 Starter Banging
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 1
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From: Arkansas
78 C3 Starter Banging
New starter installed a year ago, no issue, then all of a sudden I went to start it, and horrible bang coming from starter. Took off and took to part store to test. They said the tester couldn't test it because it was giving off a surge. Bought a new starter, installed it. Worked great for 3 weeks, then again this morning I went to start it and again loud bang from the starter and won't start. Any ideas? Sounds like metal on metal.
NCM Grand Opening Veteran
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,979
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From: South of giving a damn
St. Jude Donor '11, '17
How does the drive gear look? Did you shim the starter? Sounds like it could be binding with the flex plate/flywheel and that is causing the starter to fail.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
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From: Cool Northern Michigan
Power Master starter instructions noted the importance of the clearance between the bendix and flywheel.
It stated so many thousandths of an inch. Then in italics it stated: the thickness of a heavy-duty paper clip. I believe that was 0.030.
Two other things come to mind. Are you using starter bolts? Without those special shanks the starter will shift every time.
Are you incorporating the front brace? Without that, the starter can shift also.
It stated so many thousandths of an inch. Then in italics it stated: the thickness of a heavy-duty paper clip. I believe that was 0.030.
Two other things come to mind. Are you using starter bolts? Without those special shanks the starter will shift every time.
Are you incorporating the front brace? Without that, the starter can shift also.
