Looking at some mini-starters for my 168-tooth flywheel 454. I don't have a lot of compression, probably 10.5:1. I am going to guess they're all basically the same, but am curious on the difference between cast iron noses and aluminum. Thanks for any tips.

We have a GM mini starter on our L78 Chevelle and it whips the engine over as though the spark plugs were out of the heads. It has the aluminum nose. No problems in two summers of driving.

I also have a GM mini stater off of a 99 Yuckon 5.7 on y 396 & it acts like that I have no compression, MY buddy is running one of the Chrome E-Bay starters on his 406 & he loves it for around $89.00. My Brother is running one of the plain E-Bay mini starters for 57.99 & he loves it, they just simple do a better job of spining our engines over.

I have a 10.5-1 compression 470 big block. I put on a summit mini starter. It works very well,is quiet, and was alot less expensive than the big name starters.

BIONDO, check em out!!!

I use a CSI, got a fantastic deal on it from the guy in my signature, and it works awsome, however the Biondo is less expensive.

there BIONDO 2HP ministarter is $169.99 and the 3HP is $189.99

I just bought a gm mini off ebay for $90 shipped, man is it lighter and smaller. Just started the car with it and it works and sounds awsome. I would just go on ebay and buy a gm mini starter. ITs cheaper then a after market one and probly just as good.

Here's my experience with starters...

The GM mini worked great on my 427.
Neve rhad an ounce of trouble out of it and I robbed it off a ~97 Burb.

So it was alredy well used.

When I put it on my 505, it wouldn't crank it without grinding.

Same deal with another one I tried to test.

Tried an aluminum nose old style starter, and it wouldn't crank fast enough and was noisy. Shimming didn't help either....

Bought a brand new racing mini starter similar to a Summit/Jegs brand.

it would crank the 505 over no problem but it was NOISY as well....

No matter what I did, I had a noisy cranking UNTIL I used an iron nose old stlye Chevy starter.
It would crank quietly but needed a very hot battery and then was still slow.

I had a local shop build it with Hi-Torque windings and my iron nose.

No problems now.

The gear reduction starters are the way to go if they are rigid enough to not grind.

All the aluminum nose starters wre flexing on the 505, tried different bolts, GM, parts store, didn't matter..

Here a weird deal..........Just tried to install a CSI mini starter and it will not fit on my block. 454 using a stock chevy starter is a tight fit with the headers, but it does fit. Never a problem with this starter, but came across a great deal on a CSI mini starter. This one came off a 496 BBC with big tube headers in a Camaro, fit that car fine. The billet aluminuim block is drilled with four holes to allow for use with the two different size flex plates, and the corner of the mounting block is milled to allow for oil pan clearence. Tried every which way that I could and the thing is a no go. If it was bolted up to the engine block, the center of the mini starter gear hits dead center on the ring gear / flex plate. I can not use the other bolt holes on the billet starter block as the headers will not allow the starter to travel outward from the engine block. Damn thing is half the size of the stock starter buts takes up more room..........I got to flop around uner the car for two hours and ended up with the stock / big arse / heavy starter back on the car. graemlins/clonk.gif Looks like it's gonna stay that way, whole lot of hassle for a few pounds of weight saved.

wow! not the news i expected on these parts. I figure i'll just get on off of ebay becuase I need one when I change over to a 4spd.

I had a Powermaster and it worked nice.

Mine ended up on my Mill before it fit with my headers, becuase i wasnt planning on beating my headers up for a starter!!

the Tilton fit easier then the CSI and shimmed easier.

If you buy a GM mini-starter, be sure you get the LT-4 starter...not the earlier LT-1.

Lighter & stronger.

Got my last one from gmpartsdirect.com

HTH

A good starter choice that has worked well for me is the GM mini like mentioned above. The 168 tooth version will be found on certain year 4.3 Astro Vans and the Gen.1 Vortec era V8 pickup trucks etc. The 153 tooth version like I have came off the LT1/4 F-cars.