Starter catching and or noise stop turning.

It still doesn't make sense to me at this point. Robb said to "Remove the existing starter, install the two mounting bolts (without the starter installed), and measure from the center of the bolts to the nearest side of the ring gear on the flexplate."

I'm not quite sure why he said to install the two mounting bolts or how I would measure from the center (as in in-between) both of them, I thought 1 would suffice and to measure from the center of the bolt head to the closest side of the flexplate, but that makes me think I wasn't completely understanding his directions.

What I don't get is if the stock starter pinion gear went out too far and I had to put a spacer to shim it back, why won't his starter work? I emailed him asking these questions and asking if his starter will extend too far or not far enough to work with my flexplate. We'll see what he comes back to me with.

 

I will measure it with feeler gauges, appreciate the advice. Other than the obvious fact that the flexplate won't work with any starter I know of, is there another reason why you'd ditch it?

 

From Robb,

"Your ring gear offset is 1/4" off from stock making the ring gear too close to the starter. Our starter gear would be engaged with your ring gear as soon as you bolted it up. Our starter allows you to shim the starter so the pinion gear is pulled back, but only a maximum of 1/8".

Sorry for the bad news. If you don't want to replace the flexplate, you might try an old-school, non-gear reduced starter (the big, heavy, stock type). Because the old-school starters had more pinion gear travel, the pinion gear might be far enough away so that it will work."

 

Haha! I'm trying to find any way to not have to pull down the trans to change the plate.

With my stock starter, the pinion isn't engaged at rest.

 

If I had a nickel for every time I had to pull a transmission for a 5 cent problem, Id be even money at this point in life.

I'd be hanging up the phone after ordering won of JW's SFI plates and walking out to the garage and pulling the transmission right about now.

 

Mostly because I just painted everything and the more times I take it apart the more paint chips are going to occur. I also have to remove the x pipe. Not that big of a deal but I have to buy a new starter no matter what so if there was one that worked that’s the option I would prefer. None the less looks like I’ll have to do it anyway.

 

I'm back to working on the car. I want it to be reliable so I will be changing the flexplate as recommended by Larry. I apologize for all the questions I'm just trying to understand what is actually going on. It would appear this is taking me a few times to fully understand.

I do have a JW "The wheel" plate with an SFI sticker on the back just not with the correct offset. I will call JW to get an SFI plate with a stock offset, would that be correct? Anything I should be looking for specifically (I'll ask JW when I call as well)?

Also, the stock starter will work with the stock plate offset obviously but is there a starter you guys would recommend? 70 stage 1 iron head 455 with TA stroker kit.

 

Can you read a part number? You may have other issues like tooth count.

 

You know I was llooking at my parts from TA like the FLY wheele. Flex plate. I bought it 5 yrs ago and its flat. Why would TA sell me a flex plate that is going to be a problem. Are they going to tell me the same thing. I need an offset flexplate.? And yes the motor is still appart. I have everything except money to take the block to machine shop.

 

Sounds like it depends on which starter I use. I been using the large stock type that every 2 yrs bust the nose off. I wonder if on the mini starter you could add a few washers behind the return spring to give it more snap back. Faster return.

 

Very odd that it happens to some and not others. I would think manufacturing specs would be the same across the board.