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Still having trouble keeping flexplate/starters. I'm on my third starter now and soon to be third flexplate. After the original starter virtually ate the flywheel, I bought a mini starter and $100 flexplate - well, at first, the starter bolted on and didn't need any shims - great. Then about two to three weeks later it started grindin' so we added a shim to the outside - great. Then two to three weeks later it started grindin' again and we added a shim to the outside - great. Well, you guessed it after a few weeks it started grindin' really bad so thought maybe the starter went bad so bought another mini starter and sure enough worked great - now two weeks later, it's grindin' again and a couple of teeth in the fly wheel have been chipped off - had to shim the crap out of the outside to get it right but now it's startin that really bad grind again - any ideas?

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1980 shortbed Luv - 350 40 over, etc. - Like I told my momma, it ain't no fun growing up!

not sure but would it be possible to have a bent flywheel...take the starter off and crank by hand and see if it wabbles any

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My old but now gone Luv...

Also make sure you have plenty of power to your starter, a weak battery or bad connection will cause the same effect.

And a good motor to chassis ground.

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Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy horsepower...and that's kind of the same thing...

wondering if the teeth are being meshed too tightly...like with too big of a flywheel or something.

What does the wear pattern look like?

Think the thrust bearings on the crank could be worn?

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An oldschool mechanic once told me that you should be able to wedge a paperclip wire between the starter gear and the flywheel gear with the starter engaged. Obviously you have to engage the starter gear by hand with a screwdriver, with the battery cable disconnected.

The motor is new rebuild with new crank and bearings, etc. It looks like it's eating the very end of the teeth when it grinds - don't know about the two cheaped fins - they are about 4 inches apart and are chipped off sideways. We measure with paperchip and everything else. What I can't figure out is why it appears perfect for a couple of weeks and then starts the grind garbage. All I know is I'm on my third starter and soon to be third flywheel. I talked to a guy at church last night who drag races and he said he thought something was coming loose but everytime it grinds the starter is tight, flexplate is tight (and not bent - we've watched it and it looks fine).

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1980 shortbed Luv - 350 40 over, etc. - Like I told my momma, it ain't no fun growing up!

First off the paperclip theory is true also You can take a 7/64th drill bit butt end and run it vertically between the starter drive shaft and the flywheel. if it wont go you need to shim if it is a tad tight you are ok. make sure you use the solid end not the pointed end. next what year is your block some early 350s were actually leftover 327s (both have the same bore and journal size) on these particular blocks you have to find a late 327 starter with the CAST IRON HEAD ALUMINUM WILL NOT WORK!!!!!!!!! I have a 71 montecarlo and after months of searching and a couple of messed up flywheels I did some research and found the problem. Also if you are running a block with a 1 piece rear seal you have to get a starter for a 86 up 350 in the floor the old and new look alike but trust me there is a difference, hope this helps you some

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74 LUV 355 Bracket Car

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE 68-74 NOVAS

TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's an 85 block with a 79 tranny - we even wondered if that was the problem. The starter is the small high torque starter for the newer model chevy's.

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1980 shortbed Luv - 350 40 over, etc. - Like I told my momma, it ain't no fun growing up!

I believe you have the wrong starter . The newer 350's are different # of teeth than the old ones . 87and newer take the small starter .

yes if the teeth are just a bit off that will make it work good for a week or two then as it trys to mate it starts to wear out fast it is hard to tell but look at the old starter and flywheel and see what the ware pattern is and also what all the guys say it is a micron of deference i hope this helps

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http://www.facebook.com/ez.cracker
dangerous-toys4life
73 3-door avalanche bdydropped on 18s
86 1-ton 4x crewcab short bd 15"lift
75 k-5 2x
94 king cab

starter and flywheel are matched 168 tooth

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1980 shortbed Luv - 350 40 over, etc. - Like I told my momma, it ain't no fun growing up!

Hotrod80 is correct there is a difference. It will be the same number of teeth on the flywheel but the machineing of the block is different on later model blocks. Most people think the 350 block is the same all the way up to the later 90's and they are incorrect. A factory mini starter for a later model block will not work on an early model. It might work for a while but it will never be right.

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Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy horsepower...and that's kind of the same thing...

I don't know for a fact , but I know there are allot of differences in the pre and post 87' design . I put an early " 2 piece " balancer on my 92' truck block with a vortec style roller cam and now I'm finding that there may be a difference in the keywey relation to the 0 mark on the balancer . I am just trying to help , but there are differences between the "old " and "new" or 2 piece and 1 piece blocks .

I drove the luv ALL weekend with no grind. The block is an 85 - guess I'll check with Advance and see what year the starter I got was for. I'm wondering though if the grind isn't the "bad spot" from the aftermarket mini starter I got and trashed for the new factory mini. If the block is an 85 what year starters should I be using in the event I end up replacing the flywheel?

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1980 shortbed Luv - 350 40 over, etc. - Like I told my momma, it ain't no fun growing up!