Want to convert chevy mini starter

I have a Hitachi style mini starter for a chevy side by side mount. After close comparison to a buick starter, it appears to need a 1" spacer. Has anyone done this? I sent an email to PowerMaster about a new head. There new 200ft/lb buick starter is a BB chevy supplied with an adapter.

Hate to buy a starter when I have a new one.

 

Last year I bought a new Powermaster starter for a BBB and I had trouble with it all year. It would not start the Buick. I had to go to two batteries and it still would scare you sometimes. At the end of the season I sent it back to Powermaster and they sent me another starter. I have not put it back on as I put on my old $75. Ebay mini starter that I had run before the Powermaster and it always starts with one battery. I don't know what brand or who made it but it bolts right on and has always done good. I had cracked the mounting and I bought the Powermaster, I since welded it and has worked fine. The Powermaster I got did not use a spacer.
JIm N.

 

David - this may not apply 100% to you, but check out my post here

http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=132773

 

I have a stock chevy mini starter on my BBB and it works perfectly.You need one for the 80s up with the 153 tooth flexplate.

I did check and found that the chevy mini's with the duel bolt pattern will bolt right on and work with no problems.And yes even some of these come with a spacer to get the pinion in the poper location.These can be found some times at a starter/alt. repair and sales outlet.

The sarter i am using is oen that come off a GM 3 liter Hyster lift truck but is the same as you would find on a 88 305-350 with the 153 flywheel.

hope this helps.

 

The Powermaster I bought for my race car did not fit. What a POS. The terminal lugs were facing the block and the teeth would not line up. The starter I bought from Jamie on this board fit perfect. Go figure

 

i did a lot of research including using 2 of them on my own cars before i started selling them to you guys.you think powermaster does that?i worked for a rebuilder called #1 japanese years back.the owner had a factory in thailand that would make housings for starters just by measuring & casting.never tested them in the field,then couldnt understand why they didnt fit in real life situations.bench testing is a lot different than true useage of the product.p

 

do they work with the wheel?

 

Jamie I just hope the starter can handle the 13.5:1 CR we will be throwing at it.:beers2:

 

one of the board members has a rock crawler with bbb,hes running 12 or 13 :1 using mine with no problems.that was a couple years ago.:TU:

 

Jamie - will your starter specifically work with "The Wheel" flexplate from JW ??

 

Alan that's what Chris and I are using it on. When we strapped the the XS on to the JW wheel it wasn't even close to meshing right. Not even with shims. To top that off the lugs were on the pan side of the starter and you wouldn't be able to get nuts off to put wires in.ou: I hope it wasn't designed that way. If it was I don't think anyone can use it with a girdle.

Jamie's starter fit perfect with no shims needed. Haven't fired the motor with it yet but so far so good.

 

any problems with a girdle mixed with jamies?

 

No it fits just fine.

 

A easy fix is to buy a chevy tilton style starter and order a nose from TA it could save you over a hundred dollars on a starter and if the starter ever goes out you can just order a new starter. I paid 89 for a starter dont remember how much for nose but was less than starter and have had it on for five years

 

Thanks BigDawg,

I found the head listed in thier catalog for $59.95. This will fix me up!!:TU:

 

I put a Chevy mini starter in mine. Milled the mounting block and redrilled the pattern. Works perfect.

 

lot of work,for a buick part.$:bla:sorry, jeff,thanks for the cure.but mine work out of the box!!!!!!

 

Jamie I have not tried to start the engine hot yet but it cranks just fine when warm. I still have to put a start retard on it though as we are running a locked distributor at 37 degrees.

 

Yours wont turn over a 750 hp engine with 15to1 compression either, mine does.....:moonu: By the way I have seen many of your starters. Don't get me started... My response was to the person that started the thread, not you.

 

btw,you try one of mine?or just talking out your frustrations?:laugh:yes i had some defects,sorry if you got one of them.ive switched since then,darn offshore product quality,change parts all the time.now its all usa made stuff i sell,oem.