Hey guys, my motor has had starter problems from day one! When i first install a new one, it works GREAT for about 20 starts, then all of a suddon....it makes a horrible grinding/jumping noise...so i go under the car and loosen it...tighten it back up and i can get another 20 starts. The bolts are knurled and tight, it just seems like the starters twisting in the block. After the 3rd readjust i have to get a new gear because it gets trashed then i'm good for a lil more time.
Anyone ever hear of this?
Thanks
Ed

Are you using the rear starter brace. Have you checked the clearance of the starter with the ring gear?

I just went through this with my 350. When using the stock style starter be sure and use the bracket on the rear stud that bolts to the block.Its kinda like a L shape.It also supports the rear of the starter as they arent lightweights..

Yes, I am using the brace that bolts to the block and the starter...Using this makes it better but not perfect.

If i didnt have this it usually lasts under 10 starts before it grinds.

Could my block me warped? or something of the sort?
Ed

Ed,
First of all, if your signature is correct and you have almost 14 to 1 compression, you might want to go with a gear reduction starter. At minimum you should have a good new (not rebuilt) high torque starter. Either AC Delco or maybe an Accel. A stock starter is probably straining too hard with that compression. Also, make sure you have good ( GM ) starter bolts. Some of the aftermarket ones I have seen are a lousy fit in the starter housing. I had the same AC Delco High Torque reman starter on my 13.5 to 1 355 in my Camaro for close to 13 years and never had a problem.

Hey Bill,
This is my third one...i had Powermaster, tilton and now this is a local guys starter. A GM with the high tq parts. He came over and installed it for me so it would be guaranteed. They all crank great even if its hot untill this happens. I was just curious if any of you guys had the same problem

Yeah, pretty familiar....

Your block has The Problem.

It is a condition wherein the starter bolts were drilled too far from the crank, by the factory. Apparently one of the 3 or 4 (I'm guessing, just based on the probabilities I've been fighting since the mid 70s) machines that were used at the block factory to gang-drill the holes, drifted somewhat; and starting sometime around 71, that one machine drilled every block out of tolerance that passed through it. GM must have realized there was a problem sometime in about 74 or 75, because starter entries for car combos that don't exist, like Checker cabs with 396 and Powerglide, begin to appear. The universal aftermarket number for this starter is 4347 (like the one for the normal starter is 3510). It uses 2 different length bolts, and locates the starter about 1/8" or a little more, closer to the crank. Evidently they discovered what it was in about 79 or 80, because The Problemn went away about that time.

You can tell a motor that has It from 500 yards away: that horrible fingernails on the chalkboard grinding noise, very slow cranking; short starter life and multiple starter swaps later, the owner is ready to sell an otherwise perfectly good motor, for pennies on the dollar, just to get it out of his/her sight.

You put the starter on, it's just about close enough to the crank to work halfway right, but as soon as it has enough use on it to push the starter outwards away from the crank a little bit, it starts right back up again.

So I'm guessing you got this motor from somebody, probably a real good deal, nothing apparently wrong with it or anything, but they definitely had run it, and just wanted to get rid of it for no particular good reason (or a reason that didn't seem good, anyway); and you paid what seemed like a too-good-to-be-true price for it. Am I right? It's been happening with those motors for 30 years now that I know of.

I have one car that had it so bad that it wouldn't start until I hooked 2 batteries up to it right after I bought the car for a totally impossible low price (you'd shoot me if I told you what kind of car and what I paid), and then it broke the starter nosepiece right off the block..... the starter fell DOWN to the GROUND. I figured out right away that there was something wrong with that one.

let me give you one more possibility to consider. when i rebuilt my 400 sb a friend that helped me assemble and install it put the flex plate on backwards. well when we couldnt get it to hook up to the tranny we noticed our problem, removed the flex plate turned it around and put it on right. proceeded with installation and all was well with the exception that i could not maintain proper starter distance. i was constantly adjusting it and changed out a couple of starters. the last time when it was on a hoist the mechanic had someone start the car. he immediately noticed that the flexplate was wobbling. during the wrong installation/reinstallation process we had evidently warped the flex plate. anyhow once we replaced the flexplate that was the end of the problem. it still has the same starter now for several years with no problems (knock on wood!)