Just finished a rebuild on a stock 77Z 350. Found the block cracked at the starter bolt and had the machine shop metal spray it and add a key type piece for added strength. Is there any way to secure the starter in a better way. I know it's a small block problem but I haven't delt with one since the 70's.

The starter has to be bolted to the block in order for it to mesh properly with the flexplate/flywheel. I can't think of any other way to do it that would be reliable.

If the machine shop did a decent job of repairing the crack, it should work just fine. What is "metal spray"? I don't quite understand what they did to it.

Metal spray is an alternative to welding from what I was told. Several folks in the know stated that it is better. From the way it was described to me they heat the block and inject molton steel. They claim a better bond. I couldn't really tell where the repair was made. I spent a fortune keeping the original block so I hope it works and was worth it. The shop has done a lot of work for me in the past when I worked for Toyota and they had a head gasket problem on 3.0L's.

A possible alternative would be one of the mini-starters from the aftermarket; expensive yes, but lighter and less weight hanging from the repaired area.