I am working on a 95 for the last few days, had to pull the engine out to do the head gaskets, flexplate was chewed up due to numerous butchered starter repairs by other shops. Long story short, had a leaking headgasket and it kept hydrolocking and blowing the starters off. The bolts were repaired but not properly as half were still in the block and the helicoils were flush with the flange, which won't let the shoulder of the bolt do its job so the starter doesn't move.
So 3 hours later, I had it fixed so I think, :hehe: I removed the helicoils, drilled out the remaining bolts and retapped for helicoils. Also didn't know the last shop broke off a friggin drill bit, :banghead: Censored Now, the downside is the block hole is much larger so the knurled shoulder of the bolt is loose, this will let the starter become loose over time. My fix, the helicoils sit deep in the block, aprox 1/2-3/4 of an inch, I measured the protusion thru the starter. I then took a drill bits up to 1/2" and drilled up to the helicoil. I then took some 3/8 course nuts and drilled out the centers to match the knurl, then ground down the outside until they were a tight fit into the block and voila, a factory repair. Now the bolts fit snugly just like OE.
See pictures below in post #7.
So 3 hours later, I had it fixed so I think, :hehe: I removed the helicoils, drilled out the remaining bolts and retapped for helicoils. Also didn't know the last shop broke off a friggin drill bit, :banghead: Censored Now, the downside is the block hole is much larger so the knurled shoulder of the bolt is loose, this will let the starter become loose over time. My fix, the helicoils sit deep in the block, aprox 1/2-3/4 of an inch, I measured the protusion thru the starter. I then took a drill bits up to 1/2" and drilled up to the helicoil. I then took some 3/8 course nuts and drilled out the centers to match the knurl, then ground down the outside until they were a tight fit into the block and voila, a factory repair. Now the bolts fit snugly just like OE.
See pictures below in post #7.