63 starter issue

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Michael,

Here's a close-up of the gear teeth. Let me know what you think.

Thanks, Mike

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Michael,

Here's a close-up of the gear teeth. Let me know what you think.

Thanks, Mike

Mike-----


This starter drive looks to be brand new and correctly configured. Attached are photos of an NOS GM starter drive. This particular one is about 45 years old.

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Joe, would and 153/168 flywheel require two different starters, so if a 67 flywheel and starter is used with the 63 starter, may it not be a miss/ match. the reason I say this is because a frenid has a 63 that had a turbo 350 trans. installed and we re-installed a p/g and had the reuse the same flywheel and starter(168 tooth) and the dust shield. HMMM-what do you think.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Looking at your gear, my old one, and another new one I found, the difference in the gear is slight, but there is a difference. A close look at the pic I posted shows that there is a witness mark where the ring gear made contact with each gear on the drive. Notice that this mark is on a flat portion of the drive gear end, before the radius found on the end of each tooth starts. As Michael noted, my gear seems to have less radius, and more flat, than the others, so, my guess is that the same starter position would not lead to the gear "camming" into place.

It would appear that the "cam" action that is supposed to happen when the ring tooth gear contacts the radius would happen if I added a shim or two. I just got some shims (after going to four auto parts stores, they are hard to find) so I'll measure how far the tooth needs to move and shim it that much. Wish me luck.

Mike

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Joe, would and 153/168 flywheel require two different starters, so if a 67 flywheel and starter is used with the 63 starter, may it not be a miss/ match. the reason I say this is because a frenid has a 63 that had a turbo 350 trans. installed and we re-installed a p/g and had the reuse the same flywheel and starter(168 tooth) and the dust shield. HMMM-what do you think.

Edward------


The only significant difference between a starter designed for a 153 tooth flywheel and a 168 tooth flywheel is the starter nose. The starters may also be "high torque" or "standard torque", but that does not relate to flywheel applicability.

Starters for 153 tooth flywheels or flexplates ALL use an aluminum nose with "straight across", "long bolt-short bolt" mounting.

Starters for 1963+ 168 tooth flywheel (note: no Corvette used such a flywheel or flexplate for 1963-65) AND manual transmission, used a cast iron starter nose with "offset" bolt mounting pattern and "intermediate length" mounting bolts. This starter nose was also used for 1968-69 Corvette with THM-400.

Starters for 1970+ with 168 tooth flexplate and auto transmission used a starter with aluminum nose, "offset" and "2 long" mounting bolt configuration.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Just for kicks, before trying a shim, I threw in another rebuilt starter. The nose and gear of the second rebuilt one looks pretty much identical to my original 67 one. The car turned over with no problem.

I may ask the vendor who rebuilt my correctly dated one to change the gear to something that looks more like the others, or, I my put the nose of the new rebuilt one on the dated body myself, rather than shimming it.

Mike

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Mike,

Go and purchase the shims like was suggested and you will see how and why to shim the starter.

Starters were machined differently as well as blocks so every starter does not fit every block.

Yes, I know it's hard for some to believe that blocks and starters are not perfectly machined every time.

That's why God invented shims.

JR

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Just for kicks, before trying a shim, I threw in another rebuilt starter. The nose and gear of the second rebuilt one looks pretty much identical to my original 67 one. The car turned over with no problem.

I may ask the vendor who rebuilt my correctly dated one to change the gear to something that looks more like the others, or, I my put the nose of the new rebuilt one on the dated body myself, rather than shimming it.

Mike

Mike------


If I were going to do this myself, I think I'd transfer just the nose and drive from the second rebuilt starter to the correct one. That way, you keep all the "rebuilt" elements and the correctly numbered frame. This is an easy swap-out, too.

Make sure there is a new bushing in the nose you transfer.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Just for kicks, before trying a shim, I threw in another rebuilt starter. The nose and gear of the second rebuilt one looks pretty much identical to my original 67 one. The car turned over with no problem.

I may ask the vendor who rebuilt my correctly dated one to change the gear to something that looks more like the others, or, I my put the nose of the new rebuilt one on the dated body myself, rather than shimming it.

Mike

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Just for kicks, before trying a shim, I threw in another rebuilt starter. The nose and gear of the second rebuilt one looks pretty much identical to my original 67 one. The car turned over with no problem.

I may ask the vendor who rebuilt my correctly dated one to change the gear to something that looks more like the others, or, I my put the nose of the new rebuilt one on the dated body myself, rather than shimming it.

Mike

Mike, just curious. How did the starter episode turn out?

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Michael,

I'm not having the best luck. After I installed the the second, non-matching, starer, I started the car with it just fine, without shimming. Unfortunately, about thirty seconds later I broke #5 intake push rod , so I'm sorta preoccupied with that, as a starter isn't necessary on an engine that can't seem to keep its valve train together for more than a few minutes of run time.

I think I'm gonna ship the starter back and ask them to put on a more typically profiled drive gear.

As for this engine, I think the cash-for-clunkers Obama solution might be in order here. I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks, Mike

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 starter issue

Michael,

Let me know if you decide to go with cash for clunkers, I may be able to do a little better than that..

Keep the Faith..

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 starter issue

My new ZR1 is in storage 'til the snow goes away, so maybe I'll just "borrow" the LS9 for a while for the 63. That'd cheer me up.

Mike