shimming starter

[BarryK]

is it difficult to reshim the starter on my L76 and how do I know how much or how little to shim it?
not always, but every now and than it grinds as I try to start the car. it only happens maybe once every 10 or so times I go to start it but everytime it's happened and another vette owner was around they all told me it was the starter than needed shimming.

[JohnZ]

I've never had to shim one, but the objective is to have about .030" clearance (about the diameter of a bent-open paper clip) between the peak of an engaged drive pinion gear tooth and the root between the two mating teeth on the ring gear. Adding shims evenly moves the pinion away from the ring gear, adding them only at the outboard bolt moves the pinion closer to the ring gear.

I'd check the Bendix first to make sure it's engaging fully-extended, check the pinion teeth, make sure the starter bolts are tight, and be sure you have the starter brace in place from the forward end of the starter to the side of the block; many Bubbas don't want to fiddle with the starter brace and leave it off when changing the starter. The starter nose wasn't designed to carry a cantilevered load like that, and it eventually cracks, which misaligns the Bendix and eats up the pinion gear and/or the ring gear.

[BarryK]

John
Thank you VERY much!
Unfortunatley because of my complete lack of knowledge I'm not quite sure I understood everything you said but i'll study my service manual closely and while I read it I'll keep your comments nearby to refer to and than I should be able to understand it a lot better and than know what to look for when I get under the car.
Since I can't find a decent mechanic locally pretty much EVERYTHING I have to do for the car is a learning experience.

[IH2LOSE]

Barry just remember every one you will meet at a car show is an exspert.

It could just be a funney spot on your flywheel and it grinds when your on the spot. Just get under the car with your nes floor jack and its jack stands pull the inspection plate make sure the car is in neutral make a jumper wire from the battery wire to the starte solinode terminal.Or have Linda sit in the car and hit the starter off and on to inspect the ring around the flywheel. Mark the bottom of the fly wheel with nail polish or a magic marker to know when it comes all the way around.

Good luck and have fun

[IH2LOSE]

Barry the bendix it the part that shoots in and out of the starter when you engage the starter. the nose it the part that the starter actually mounts to the block with. the brace hold the most foward peice (Toward the front of the car)of the starter up and actually supports the weight of the starter.

he is explaining that a paper clip is about 0.30 and its the perfect feeler gage for setting a chevy starter.

[vintagecorvette]

[quote=IH2LOSE]Barry just remember every one you will meet at a car show is an exspert.

It could just be a funney spot on your flywheel and it grinds when your on the spot.


I agree, It very likely could be a spot where the teeth have worn out and it will grind.

Good luck

oWEN

[BarryK]

Larry, oWEN
thanks for the suggestion to also chack the flywheel. I would never have thought to check that also so while I'm under the car I'll check that out also.

Larry, thanks for the crash course in parts indentification, that helps.