The vise grips are used on the starters with the shift lever exposed, like the one we're discussing here. Clamp them onto the exposed lever as a handle to overcome the return spring and hold the gear in the engaged position. Nose cones with the linkage enclosed are a little more difficult to time, but most problems with them are due to the Y-shaped shift lever getting worn where it engages the Bendix. If the round pivot points are worn, some rebuilders weld material back on and mess up the motor start timing.
"Pinion clearance" is the measurement that keeps the starter pinion from bottoming in the flywheel ring gear teeth on starters that bolt to the block vertically. Since the starter pinion is below the crankshaft centerline, shimming between the starter and the block decreases the tooth engagement. I spray paint a few flywheel teeth and spin the starter to see how much paint gets rubbed off, and shim accordingly. This does not apply to bellhousing-mounted starters.
Jerry
