I bought and installed new starter this evening, but it refuses to engage the flywheel. I don't mean that the solenoid isn't working. I can hear the gears grinding on the flywheel, and there are some nice scoring marks on the flywheel gears to prove it. I tried shimming the starter down (which required patient filing of the starter housing inorder to get the bolts to line up with the holes in the block), but this has so far not helped. Do I just need to shim (and file) it further? Has anyone else had this problem?


By the way, this is a manual trans and a 6.5 na engine.


I just spent $250 on this starter and I might not be able to return it due to the mods I've done to it. I'd really like to get it to work.





Thanks

you should check to make sure that you have the correct starter. Automatics and manual transmission take different ones I believe. As for as exchanging for the correct one, good luck if the filing is apparent, maybe putting it in the box and they won't look real close at it. BUt go back in the morning before your old one is shipped out of the store, use it for comparsion.

I still have the old one. I've compared them and they look identical in every way. Plus, the automatics and manuals are the same (so say the parts stores).


I guess what I need to know is whether extensive shimming and fine tuning of the starter position relative to the flywheel/bellhousing is often necessary. Or is something else obviously wrong. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing work, including enlarging the holes in the starter so that there is some side-to-side play. I think the problem is that the stater gear is too close to the center of the flywheel so that the teeth can't engage. It needs to move outward along the radius of the flywheel. Evidently the shimming I did (about 2 mm) wasn't enough.


Thanks for the help

I bought a truck with a similiar problem. It turned out the guy I bought it from had a new starter and flywheel put in. It did as ypou describe. The problem turned out to be the fly wheel was for a 454 that had been put on. Oh so close but no cigar.

Pinion to flywheel is a somewhat critical alignment, For clearance here is what is in my 98 manual.


Assuming you can get it started with cover removed take a piece of chalk or crayon and slowly move toward outer diameter of flywheel doing this will help locate the "high spot" part of the flywheel that comes closest to the starter.


Once that is found rotate FW to that spot, then electrically or mechanically force starter pinion to where it would be in the engage/start position, using wire gauge or shim stock measure the FW tooth end to bottom of valley made between teeth of starter pinion.


normal distance is .5mm to 1.5mm (.020-.060") use shims to obtain this measurement.


If clearance is <.5 mm (.020") and whines when engaged move starter away from flywheel.


add 1.0 mm (.040") shim one at at time under each long bolt between starter mount pad and engine until noise is corrected, use no more than 2 shims total.


if pinion clearance is > 1.5mm(.060") and starter whines shim toward the fly wheel


add .33mm(.014") between outboard starter mounting pad and engine mount until noise stops, add max 4 shims.


when finished torque bolts to 45Nm (33' lb).


In your case with no spin/no noise I'd adjust starter to point so that pininon if free to travel toward the flywheel teeth freely and adjust for nose as above.


Have you verified you have power to solenoid, unless the solenoid pulls in nothing will happen, following are some checks to verify if you are aligned and still no go. (may want to do these 1st before spending a lot of time shimming, that starter isn't lightest thing to remove/replace)


With key on, & disconnected starter, read with meter for 12V with key on on solenoid control wires.


If you have 12 V there; you need to do some starter tests use your batt charger as a 12v power supply to do some no load bench testing , most will give about 15A current which should allow you to no load bench test the starter, if you have a small charger should have enough power to latch in solenoid but may not drive motor, be careful to secure starter firmly, it does develop a LOT of torque.

Thanks for the help. I was able to get the starter to engage, but not by shimming. It seems that as the starter is shimmed downward, the curvature of the bell housing forces it to move closer to the flywheel. I was able to move it outwards only by enlarging the bolt holes in the starter (from approx 7/16" to 1/2") and by grinding the starter housing on the outboard side where it contacts the bell housing.


The truck is starting beautifully, but I'm getting a whine so I'll try to fine tune the adjustment. Thanks again.

Do I read your sig line rite 75 3/4 T 6.5, what year 6.5 did you retrofit into the 75, that certainly wasn't an option that year.


Would be neat if you did a small write what you did for the conversion, or did you buy it converted already?

I was able to move it outwards only by enlarging the bolt holes in the starter (from approx 7/16" to 1/2") and by grinding the starter housing on the outboard side where it contacts the bell housing.


The truck is starting beautifully, but I'm getting a whine so I'll try to fine tune the adjustment. Thanks again.





Did the bad starter you removed have custom bored holes in it, what trans you mated to, 6.5s normally mated to 4L60 & 4L80 IIRC might be a tad off if you have different trans.

Did you install the bracket on the rear of the starter? It can be difficult to get at, but it is very important. I had a starter replaced on a 6.2 and they forgot the rear bracket and it caused a similair problem.

TD,


Thumbsmasher was asking us what parts he could use to swap a n/a 6.5 from an '80's 'burban to a 70's chevy truck about three weeks ago. I, for one, and really glad to hear it's up and running. This is a great inspirtion to anyone thinking of retro fitting 6.5's into classic chevy pickups. Of course, when I do it, I will put an EFI controlled engine and 4L80E in a '72 http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley3.gif.

Yes, QM is right, my truck is a conversion. I've noted that now in my signature.


Regarding what TDG said, I have no idea what the bracket on the rear of the starter is. None of my manuals mention it.

every 6.2/6.5 starter I've seen has one, if anyone here knows different please say so. If you don't use it you run the risk of pulling the threads from the front two mounting bolts right out of the block. Trust me, this is not an easy place to drill tap and helicoil.

That bracket fell off on the highway one day not long after I got the truck. It's a rod about 18" with flattend ends that have a bolthole drilled through it. It mounts between the starter and engine iirc. Edited by: quantum mechanic

need to try and find a bracket, it bolts on to this stud...


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/TexasDieselGuy/2004-10-10_085341_starter.jpg

go to the dealer and get one. Most stock it or can order it. Alot of gasser owners threw it away( as was common on the gas motors) when they changed diesel staters. Well it is far more important on diesel's than gas motors. Get ti installed and might use some thread locking compound going to the block so it does back out and fall off again. I went thru 3 starters, 6 batteries, 1 alternator and 2 broken bolts on my 6.2 truck before I figured out why.

i sheared off 2 sets of starter bolts before i found that bracket still attached to the block but bent out of the way by someone before i got the truck. my bracket is not 18" long though. it is about 2 inches long and is bent to a 90 and mouts from that stud you showed to the block right beside it. the hole in the bracket that mounts to the block is elongated for fine adjustment.oh yaeh if you thought your ops was hard to put your hands on wait until you try to get at this little bastard, i just barely could get my hand in there through the wheel well skirt. one of those "see with your hands" situations, then 2 extentions and a universal to put a ratchet on it. no shearing since.