In most cases car will start first try after it has been sitting. Othertimes I'll get a click at the starter and it wont turn over but then will start on the second try. If you let it run for a few minutes or drive it around and turn it off, then try to start it again all you get is the click, wait a few more minutes (10-15) and it will then start on the first or second try. It runs fine once started and you could drive it all day, if you didn't turn it off. I replaced the starter (the old starter did the same, but would start hot or cold on the second or third try). I cleaned the ground wires and replaced the negative battery cable as it was coroded inside. Battery is one year old according to the date stamp. Background on the car is that the guy I bought it from had it in storage for the last 2-3 years, it wouldn't pass emissions so he sold it. New plugs, distributor cap, rotor, wires clean oil and seafoam and it passed with flying colors. I don't have any test equip. If anyone has any ideas before I take it down and pay for a diagnostic that would be great, Cheers.

 

There is not enough clearence between the starter motor pinion and the flywheel teeth. You need to shim it out a bit more ( add shims between the starter motor and mount). Also it wouldn't hurt to add some grease to the starter pinion gear.

 

I'll give it a try first thing in the morning. Cheers

 

Another good test is to measure the battery voltage at the battery terminals with the ign sw in crank position. The battery voltage shouldn't budge if you hear only a click. During cranking, the battery voltage shouldn't fall below 9.0 volts or you have poor cable connections to the battery, the battery is discharged, or the battery is at the end of its life. The state of charge can be found by measuring the battery voltage under no load. 12.0 volts and below, discharged, 12.9 volts and above, fully charged and linear in between.
Another cause with your symptoms is the copper contacts that are pushed together at the end of the starter solenoid stroke that supplies current to the starter motor. These contacts get burned and pitted and eventually don't make good electrical connection and the starter motor doesn't get enough current to turn. If you keep hitting crank position over and over, you can bang the contacts clean enough to start. These contacts can be replaced.

 

Added some shims and now it starts hot or cold first try. However right when it starts and you back off the key I can hear a grind as the pinion gear disengages. One less shim (1/64) and it won't engage. I tried one more shim and the grind is worse. I checked the battery and it's fine, as are all the conections. I guess it's possible I have a bad starter, it is a remanufactured from NAPA. Any thoughts before I pull it out. And a big Thanks for the previous replies

 

Don't get rid of the starter just yet. Check and see what the pinion is hitting first ( after the pinion disengages the flywheel teeth ). Then use a dremel tool with a grinding bit and make more space.

 

Well, it appears to be ffixedddd. What a pain. I will put this under the catagory of poor quality control with cheap starters. First starter was a remanufactured from Napa. Would hang up or not fully engage. So I decided to return the starter and as luck would have it the starter receipt was the only one I could not find. My wife is mad enough at me already (I have over spent my allowence) so off to Checker for another cheap starter $30.00. The parts guy and I take a look. This guy is in his early seventies and just works week ends, says he has been in the auto business for 50 years. takes one look at my napa starter and says the pinion gear isn't right "sitting to far back". Because it set back in the armature, when engaged it would not make full contact with the flywheel, thats why even when the clearence was correct (paperclip method) it would not work, and drove me crazy. He pull's out a starter and it's apparent the pinion is sitting about 3/8" farther out than the Napa starter, he tells me to bolt it up and check the clearence. I get it home, bolt it up and it's touching the flywheel, back to checker. The guy goes in the back and gets a bit more expensive starter $110.00 Autolite says the their price is $45.00. The pinion is right in between the other 2. Gave me the starter straight accross, discounting me another $15.00.
Put it in, no shims, checked the clearence and it was right on. Started it up, smoooth, no grind, no catch, no hang up. I almost cried,,, almost. Three starters all different all remanufactured.
Take note, I spent several hours (8+) shimming, unshimming, shimming inboard, outboard trying to line it up when all along it was a bad starter. If I had to do this over again I would by a NEW starter (GM) or get the old one rebuilt. A lesson learned, spent 8 hours or so saving a few bucks. I thank those that gave me advice. Cheers,