my god ....i have three different shims in this thing and the starter still grinds
NEW items are 1.flywheel sfi 168
2. power master 9000
3. new "GM STARTER"
4.4 pack miller light( was 12)

more shims needed ????

man talk about getting PISSED OFF AT A CAR!

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DO IT NICE NOT TWICE
http://www.picturetrail.com/72prostreet

right starter to engage the flywheel?

start at 0 shims and then add 1 shim at a time untill it doesnt grind...

COUNT THE TEETH ON THE FLEX PLATE! I got bit by this because some idiot at the parts counter gave me a 139 tooth flexplate. I still don't know what it was for to this day. Neither do they.

i started at 0 shims and up to 3 shims, how many more ????

and yes i counted http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/confused.gif till my eyes spun ...it's a 168

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DO IT NICE NOT TWICE
http://www.picturetrail.com/72prostreet

You might need to have the starter housing machined down a little so it meshes up right. Thats what happened to my dads car (454/400) It kept klipping pinion teeth after a tranny shop re-installed the wrong starter that had been previously machined to work right. it kept killing pinion gears. Going up .5 at a time made it worse.

[This message has been edited by sikzdrivr (edited April 28, 2005).]

I have 3/16 only on the outside! But its smooth. You just need to install the bolts loose and kinda move the starter up/down side to side if required until the clearance is correct and it will be smooth as factory

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283ci, 4spd, 4,200 stall, aluminum camel humps
http://www.supermotors.org/getfile/163599/fullsize/Idlin%20smooth.WMV

3 shims? keep adding them.. i've heard of some people needing as many as 6.. one engine i had.. had 4.. some needed NONE!

From a very knowledgable man on another F-body site....

The Starter Problem; where the starter bolt holes are drilled too far away from the crank, and no amount of replacing the starter or shimming it will fix it....

....simple quality control failures during the block machining process; nothing more or less than that. It took the factory many many years to find and fix them. Any block between about 70 or 71 and about 80 is a potential victim. I'd guess probably a quarter or a third of all Chevy blocks, big and small and 6-cyl, made during that time frame, had these issues.

Let's hope that's not the problem.

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350CID, Vortec 062 heads, Magnum 280, Performer Intake, Holley 650 DP, 3.42 rear w/ Auburn posi, 2600 Stall/TC
"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before."
Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

i just went through the same very frustrating problem...get someone to bump it over and watch your starter i bet its bouncing around....i got a GM starter brace for mine and its smooth and good as new...

What Cody said. Climb under that sucker and WATCH what is going on with your own 2 eyes while a friend turns it over on the starter for you. Obviously, disconnect the ignition and support the car properly before you do this.

BTW- what BOLTS are you using? They should have about 1/4" of the SHANK of the bolt sticking up into the block above the mounting flange of the starter. In other words, it's NOT just threads sticking up into the block. It's about 1/4" of the shank going up into the block and THEN the threads start. Starter bolt threads in the block are recessed slightly (about 1/4" or so) exactly for this reason.


[This message has been edited by Damon (edited April 29, 2005).]

ok.........well i have tried 0.00-0.10-0.20-0.30-0.40-0.50-0.60- shim and it still grinds ..........????

i have watched it,, looked at it and aligned it and even talked dirty too it but from the first start its grinding too........ ??????????

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DO IT NICE NOT TWICE
http://www.picturetrail.com/72prostreet

Loosen the bolts and move the nose either toward or away from the motor.....sometimes this helps.

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If all else fails...Tap lightly with a 5lb hammer!

I hate to state the obvious but the instructions tells you to stick a 1/8 inch drill bit between the ring gear and the starter drive shaft, I never read the instructions either till I ate two starters, I think I'vwe got a bout 4 under one side and 2 under the other, but once yu get the 1/8 inch clearance you'll find it should take care of your problem Jim

You still didn't answer the question about the bolts. Are these STARTER bolts or regular bolts? Starter bolts have a cross-hatching on the bolt (knurling). Regular bolts don't work on a starter.

Also, are you checking the clearance like this: http://www.marinemechanic.com/site/page169.html ?

73454 ...sorry for the delay my system took a $hit,well i have the right or correct bolts and found that a 0.40 half shim on the outside worked ,thanks for the insite on the website very good info in it
i owe you a beer !!

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DO IT NICE NOT TWICE
http://www.picturetrail.com/72prostreet

Now THAT was some serious out of tolerance parts! I have never run into one like that before. I suppose I have been lucky.