The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 454 starter woes

Not sure if I'm in the right place, but I have a 454 in my '67 that is giving me starter problems. It started grinding when I started it. I put in a shim and everything worked fine - for 6 or 7 starts. Then it started grinding bad again. I took out the shim and the same thing. Worked fine for a few starts, then back to grinding. I put in a thinner shim with the same results. Also changed the starter, but you guessed it: same ol' thing. Anyone have any ideas? Is this common for a big block (this is my first foray into the big block world)?

Roll the engine over by hand (pull the spark plugs out first) and check the flywheel teeth for damage. If the starter pinion has been bottoming out in ther flywheel, it might have chewed up the flywheel gear. The way to check for proper starter pinion engagement is top spray-paint the starter gear teeth, install the starter, and crank the engine over several revolutions with the ignition disabled. A properly-shimmed starter will wear the paint off about 3/4 of the depth of the tooth. It should not bottom out in the flywheel!
Jerry