From the sound my 69 automatic is making when I try to start it, the starter gear and the flex plate are no longer engaging.

Yes, I went out for a winter blast today and didn't get past Sam's Club gas station.  Nice ride home in a big AAA flat bed tow truck.

My original starter, that came with the ZZ4 engine when I bought the car, died some time ago and I always meant to rebuild it for a backup.  The new starter I put on is one of those compact hi-rev models.  It's been reliable but started making wrong sounds a year ago.  We checked it and it seemed OK.  But its finally hit the no-start barrier.

I'm thinking I need to readjust the shims, or add one so the gears mesh better.

Or I can rebuild the old starter and reinstall it.

Which brings me to my next question:  I keep seeing starter braces for sale, but mine never had one.  Do I need one on a 350?

Oh boy, concrete is cold this time of year.  Time to get those padded rubber things HFT sells.

Hey Adam!  Ever tried to get HFT as a sponsor?

Thanks,
Jim

BTW  This is in this forum because I couldn't decide whether starter problems go under electrical or engine.

|UPDATED|12/28/2014 1:59:40 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

First thing I would do it pull the starter out and check the teeth on the starter and all the teeth on the flywheel to rule out a problem there. It may be a little late adding or subtracting shims. 

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

 

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Could be any number of problems. Does it sound like the starter is turning, but just not connecting to the flywheel?If it is turning, it could be that the solenoid is faulty, and not kicking the bendix out to engage the flywheel, or it could be that there are no toofers for it to catch, either on the bendix, OR the flywheel. Need to determine what is happening first. If the starter is just click/clunking, but not actually turning anything, that could be the solenoid OR the starter is bad.
I'd hafta agree with Darryl, and say get the starter off, and check the teefers on the flywheel....might have a spot where the teefers are just worn off/gone, and it just happened to stop in the exact spot at Sam's.

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Joel Adams
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An update..

We finally got to work on the cars today.  Problem with the starter:  didn't put enough threadlock on the bolts.  It was very loose.  The bolts worked loose and we lost one shim.  Reinstalled with threadlock and a new shim and viola!  back in business. 

Couldn't get threadlock on one bolt because we'd have to remove the header to get the bolt off.  My plan is to go and loosen the bolt again, as far as it will go and inject some threadlock between the starter and bell housing with an insulin needle.  I don't want to do this again.

Jim

Glad it wasn't nothing serious. 

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

Yes, using the knurled bolts.

sarge8   its good to see someone who stills rebuilds  starter,alt,   its not hard.  opinon,I have a chance to get 85 vette, 10k on car,i want the engine to put in my 79  my old engine runs great I get litte oil drops on floor litte blue smoke   want do you think    mush go out ans snowblow driveway had 10 '' OF SNOW    thanks dwa 175

dwa 175,

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

Yes, according to my ZZ4 specs, "Starter motor bolt/screw ..................................................... 35 ft.-lbs. / 48 N·m."  Thanks for the help.  I guess I better get under there and check the torque. I sure don't want to ride home in a tow truck again.

|UPDATED|1/25/2015 5:35:47 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|