Thread: How do I start???

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The last time that I put a starter on my truck ('66 chevy w/ 350), I ate up the flexplate within three tries. I have heard of people wiring the starter differently to just pull the bendix out to see the gap. (I do need about .0035 correct?). How would I do this? just hook up the ignition wire to the battery through a switch??? I seems to me that If I disconnected the main power wire this would work, but I am no electrical engineer!!!! Thanks

If it is for a Ford like C4 or something then i believe there is no shims to do that with. With a Chevy there are shims to set the gap. I need the same question answered for the Chevy because I need me a new starter too.

your new starter will come with directions.

BTW... .035 maybe...

The instructions with my starter (and others) say to use a paper clip which is very close to .035. Make sure it slides between the teeth of the flywheel and the tip of the starter tooth. It is recommended that you try this on three different positions of the flywheel, but I have never bothered to do that. If it doesn't fit, use a shim and try it again.

i understand that part.....I need to know how to get the starter gear out so that I can measure. I cannot use a screwdriver b/c of the limited space available underneath my truck.

Take off the transmission cover and grab hold of the starter gear and pull it out. I was able to do this with mine with my gloved fingers. Once you have it out a ways and can get a screw driver behind it, you can get it out the rest of the way.

thanks alot..... I will try that

I got the starter up there and got the cover off but still gac't get my hands to fit in the gap between the starter gear housing and the flexplate. Anything that I can do electrically to pop the gear out? My hand just won't fit, and neither will a screwdriver b/c of the angle I have to use to get it in there.

Hello, If you just want to check the gap and want to extend the gear try taking the solenoid off and push the bendix out by hand. Then pull the starter back out reinstall the solenoid and you're good to go.

From what I remember, hook the thing up regularly with the two wires on the post. Get a screw driver and touch one side of the metal part of the screw driver to one post and the other end to another post. I can't really explain it in words but if I were there I would be able to show you... Sorry if this doesn't help much. Just try touching the screw drive between posts with a battery and wires or the cables to the points and then the screw driver thing. That is what we used to do in auto tech class in high school when testing starters after we had to rebuild them and make sure they were rebuilt right.

FMX, wouldn't that get the thing to start cranking, not just extending the gear?

I've got a couple of posts on my firewall that the two wires going from my ignition to the starter go through so I can hook up a remote switch or just use a screwdriver.

I think that pulling the solenoid off should work. If not, you might get the gear extended with the starter off and use something as a block to keep it extended.

i had the problem of the bendix not extending out enough and also chewing up the ring gear on my porsche 914 283 conversion it wasnt hooking up right and made a huge flat spot out of what were at one time teeth! what i had to do was sent the flywheel off to a machine shop to have the ring gear pulled 1/8 of an inch toward the starter this was my only option b/c i had to have a starter that would fit the porsche transaxle and start the chevy im sure that there are other options for your truck but i thought i would just share my experience with you here is a link to the company that did my flywheel for me they didnt charge much at all i think like $50 to have the ring gear pulled back and the fly wheel resurfaced
http://www.kennedyeng.com/

give them a call they could find a starter that will work for a decent price. im not sure if any of this helps but i figured i would try

Originally posted by pelligrini
FMX, wouldn't that get the thing to start cranking, not just extending the gear?

Oh yeah it will start cranking. I didn't think about that. Sorry....

HAVE YOU BUMPED IT TO SEE WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE? YOU DON'T NORMALLY HAVE TO ADJUST EM MUCH. TRY TO LINE IT UP STRAIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE ENGINE. YOU CAN CUT THE SHIMS IN HALF AND START BY ADDING A LITTLE BIT TO THE BOLT CLOSEST TO THE ENGINE. THAT BACKS THE STARTER AWAY FROM THE GEAR. IF YOUR USING A GM REBUILT STARTER, THAT IS USUALLY THE WAY YOU HAVE TO SHIM IT BECAUSE THE REFACE THEM SOMETIMES TO SQUARE EM BACK UP WHICH IN TURNS PUTS THE STARTER GEAR TO CLOSE TO THE RING GEAR.

If you disconnect the battery cable from the solenoid and apply power to the small inner post it should pull the bendix into position. I've never done it , I always just tried to crank, and then shimmed. Hank