Did 88 vettes come stock with mini starters? Cause When I replaced my engine it had a mini starter on it. Sadly it won't bolt onto by 406. I wish it would cause there would be alot more room for the headers

 

Stock mini starters interchange with the older, "full sized" starters. Here's the "dope". All C4s use a 153 tooth flywheel or flexplate. Engines with a 153 tooth wheel, use the two, straight across mounting holes. All 400 engines used a 168 toothed flywheel or flexplate. Engines with the 168 toothed wheel use the two offset mounting holes. The 350 engines used both the large and small wheels in different applications and therefore have 3 holes, drilled and tapped for the starter mounting, only two of which are ever used with a given starter. MOST 400 blocks have the three starter holes, but since Chevy only used one style starter on the Siamesed block, the dual starter mounting was superfluous, and not ALL 400 blocks got the third hole for the straight across starter mounting pattern. Unlike the engine you removed from the car, it sounds like YOUR 400 block only has the two starter mounting holes. It sounds like you used the 400 flexplate in the conversion AND the 400 starter. Since it has to be a 168 toother, it has to be a flexplate, because there is no problem using a 168 tooth flexplate with the Corvette automatic, but the 168 tooth manual flywheel won't fit the Corvette manual bell housing. You CAN drill and tap for the third hole to accommodate the 153 tooth starter, but it will take an aftermarket mini starter to fit the large wheel. I HAVE made a few assumptions on your combination, but the basics are correct. There is a lot of info there. If something isn't clear...ask.

RACE ON!!!

 

sounds like you dot it dead on thanks. Hopefully I'll see yah at RMR next season. And we can race again

 

For the most part yes, but there are things to consider. I just put a '90 ministarter on my '87 last weekend. The wire terminals are on the bottom of the ministarter instead of on the top like the earlier & larger units. This required me to lengthen the 3 wires including the large battery cable in order to reach the new terminal location.

 

I'm glad if that info helped. The alternative would be to change to a 153 flexplate and reuse your exisiting starter. The new 153 flexplate (I'm assuming again. That your 168 toother has the 400 unbalance) will have to be rebalanced to match the one you are replacing. There are three solutions:

1.) Simply install an offset bolt pattern, starter for a 168 tooth flexplate.
2.) Drill the third hole, and use an aftermarket mini starter.
3.) Drill the third hole. Switch to a 153 tooth flexplate, and use the OE mini starter you have.

The problem with option 1.) is that you are using a large starter, spaced outward, for the large flexplate. That causes more clearance and heat problems. I am ASSUMING the small starter you have is an OE starter. If that starter has 4 mounting holes, all in a row, it is the aftermarket mini starter, and will work for option # 2.). See ya in the spring.

RACE ON!!!