Are the two starter bolts on the 6.2 supposed to be the same size?
I've had one break and it is a size larger than the inboard bolt. Has someone replaced a broken bolt with a larger size? I'm getting ready to replace and didn't know whether to go back with the larger bolt, or do a timesert and
a bolt the same size as the other. Thanks for your reply.

Welcome to the forum! :welcome:

The bolts are supposed to be the same size. Apparently someone must have had one break at some point and they drilled it out to the next larger size. Personally, I think I would just go with the larger bolt rather than a helicoil or anything like that.

One note (the standard note for anybody asking questions about starter bolts ):h )... Make sure the front starter brace is installed when you reinstall the starter. If it isn't the bolts will eventually break again (possibly sooner rather than later). It looks small and insignificant but it isn't.

Welcome again! :)

Thanks. I suspected a a PO repair with the larger bolt but I was
unsure. I have to get the bolt out first - then we shall see what
was done. Thanks again. The bracket was attached.

Is it possible that someone had one break and just stuck a regular bolt in not a starter bolt. This would make one look smaller because the starter bolts have a bigger shoulder to hold the starter. If the whole bolt is bigger then someone drilled out to bigger size.

Welcome to the forum! :welcome:


One note (the standard note for anybody asking questions about starter bolts ):h )... Make sure the front starter brace is installed when you reinstall the starter. If it isn't the bolts will eventually break again (possibly sooner rather than later). It looks small and insignificant but it isn't.

Welcome again! :)

WELCOME! and yes triple check that lil bracket, it caused me a lotta pain twice. lol.

this is what the sheared bolt vs the non sheared bolt looked like on mine when the itsy bitsy nut on that bracket came off, causing the bracket to fail and so forth. you can purchase the bolts at any Chevrolet Dealer for under 8 bucks.

Thanks. I suspected a a PO repair with the larger bolt but I was
unsure. I have to get the bolt out first - then we shall see what
was done. Thanks again. The bracket was attached.

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE AN EZ-OUT. More than likely, it will break off in that broken bolt...I learned this the hard way. A reverse threaded drill bit gizmo called an "Alden Drill Out" cost about 50 bucks and did the job fine, after many, many frusturating hours of attempting to grind that rock-of-Gibraltar-hard broken EZ-Out, out, and many, many broken drill bits and dremel tips.

Most of the time you can wriggle that stump out with some patience, check with an awl if it is loose, if it is you can get it out, I have done it on 5 diff occasions.

I used an easy out after trying to wiggle it out for far too long, I could have been lucky. I replaced it with bot from the hardware store, with a different head size, but the rest was the same size. The clown who had the truck before me only had ONE BOLT AND NO BRACKET!!!!

Don't torque them to more that 35 ft. lbs. I've learned the hard way on two different trucks that over-torquing is what causes them to break in the first place