"Shim as needed"

It's hard to say...ya just gotta stick them in there till it works. Not very scientific, I'm afraid...

If the bendix was still "stuck" to the flywheel, I'm betting that's the problem. Shims come in many different thicknesses, so it's really a hit-miss thing. I would suggest loosening the bolts a little at a time, until the bendix releases, and it starts correctly, then fill in the gap. Then fine-tune it from there, making sure there's no grinding, or jumping of teeth.

One other question...did you change the starter sometime since you've had the car, or have you had starting problems the whole time you've had the car? It's possible you have the wrong starter for the flywheel diameter/tooth-count. It's a long-shot, but I fought with an idjit at a quick-lube place a couple of years ago on a '74 with almost the same issue. They changed the starter, but kept putting the wrong one on, and the original was long gone by the time they came to me.


Ooops...sorry...forgot the shim instructions!

The shims will be one of two kinds...straight across, or "Z" looking. If your starter bolts are straight across, then it's really easy. Just remove the outer bolt completely, and only loosen the inner bolt. Then slide the shim in until it bottoms on the inner starter bolt. Then, install the outer bolt. The shims are slotted on the end that goes in first, so you can slide then in without having to remove both of the starter bolts. They also have a little "tab" on the other end, to give ya something to hold on to while sticking them in.

If you have the staggered pattern starter, you'll also need the staggered shims. They are a bit harder to install, but it works the same way...loosen the inner bolt, and remove the outer bolt.
Hope thi shelps some. Adams' Apple2007-06-25 19:22:17

Well I finally got her running... The starter I ended up getting from autozone had a bad solenoid... Took is back and about 2 hours later of shimming work I got her to start up smooth as butter not a grind or anything... shut her off started it up again smooth as can be... then went to move her about an hour later and its grinding again... Then I try it again later its smooth again... The bolts are tight so I am baffled on this one... dad seems to think the motor mounts may be bad and the motor is moving alittle on start up... I crawled under and they appeared to be very dry rotted and it could be possible that the motor has never been out of the car... What do you guys think is the problem?

You may have some bad teeth on the flywheel due to the other problems with the starter before. I would check that out first, before it creates an issue with the teeth on the new starter.

The mounts could be bad, if they are dry rotted, or cracked, but it wouldn't have any effect on the way the car starts. The starter is bolted to the engine, so, if the engine moves, the starter's gonna move right along with it.

Sounds like you're getting closer to getting it fixed, tho! Good deal!


Another thought...you say the bolts are tight, and they may very well be, but...are they too long? There are different lengths for the starter bolts, and sometime, when replacing the starter, it may need shorter bolts. It doesn't have to be that loose to create a grind...just an idea.Adams' Apple2007-06-28 19:59:28