STARTER AND FLEXPLATE ISSUES

[1982cutlasssupreme]

Hello, everyone i need some help i put a chev bb 454 in my 1982 oldsmobile cutlass supreme last summer. It ran great and after a couple weeks i went to turn the engine over and heard this god awful grinding noise and it wouldnt start. I took the starter in it was done! so i bought the proper big block mini starter from my local shop as he told me the guy who sold me the engine and the new starter gave me the wrong starter. When i put the brand new one on it started the car a few times and the same thing happened so i turned the engin over by the harmonic till i found a place that would work. Tries to shim the starter witht he smallest shims and it would make no contact with the flexplate. Now it grinds and grinds and grinds and will not start no matter what im pretty sure the bendix gear is grinding the top of the flex plate gears there is no missing teeth. What should i do ? Has anyone had this problem ? Do i replace the starter with a named brand hi-torque mini starter and a new hi-torque flexplate. Do i have to get some sort of shim that goes behine the flexplate im not sure any help would be appreciated thanks. steve

 

[pontiacgp]

what the compression of the engine and how does it start when the engine is hot?...I'm thinking if your timing is too far advanced it's too hard on the starter

 

[1982cutlasssupreme]

what the compression of the engine and how does it start when the engine is hot?...I'm thinking if your timing is too far advanced it's too hard on the starter

I believe im running between 9.5 to 1 and 10.1 89 octane it runs on. what is happening now is the motor wont even crank over and the gears on the flexplate and shiny at the tips. I believe the bendix is probably worn down and thats why it wont start the car now.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Did the 454 have shims for the starter? The grinding noise sounds like incorrect gear mesh between the flywheel and starter.

 

[pontiacgp]

when it was starting how did it start when the engine was hot?....was it hard to turn over?

 

[jae]

Shiny at the tips = improper mesh, also most likely starting to chip teeth. Also does the starter - flex-plate tooth count match? You could test the starter as well.

 

[1982cutlasssupreme]

Shiny at the tips = improper mesh, also most likely starting to chip teeth. Also does the starter - flex-plate tooth count match? You could test the starter as well.

I'm using a 168 tooth flex plate and I placed the smallest shim in the starter and it made no connection with the flywheel at that point I have ordered a new flex plate and starter from jegs hoping that fixes it but I am going to check the mesh tomorrow maybe the starter is meant for a 153 tooth or something ?!

 

[1982cutlasssupreme]

when it was starting how did it start when the engine was hot?....was it hard to turn over?

Usually just a quick buz it would fire right up even really cold a pump or 2 of gas and it fired right up

 

[jrm81bu]

Shiny at the tips = improper mesh, also most likely starting to chip teeth. Also does the starter - flex-plate tooth count match? You could test the starter as well.

I'm using a 168 tooth flex plate and I placed the smallest shim in the starter and it made no connection with the flywheel at that point I have ordered a new flex plate and starter from jegs hoping that fixes it but I am going to check the mesh tomorrow maybe the starter is meant for a 153 tooth or something ?!

There's two ways to shim it. One is to put a hole shim in to move it farther away. The other is to use half a shim on the outside bolt to move it closer. By what you are describing, the flexplate may need replaced at this point.