Go figure...when you Google "Powermaster Starter Internal Shims" I get a LOT of hits about Chevrolet shim issues... The engine in my couple is a 292 Y block out of a late 50s Fairlane and the starter ****ped out a couple weeks ago. Put a Powermaster starter in the other night and was going to go on a ride today. I fired it up (DIDN'T notice any strange sounds at first) and let it run for about 10 mins to warm up. When I got into the car all I could hear was what sounded like something rubbing. I can't hear it all that well from the OUTSIDE of the engine but inside the car it's loud. My ONLY thought is that this starter needs to be shimmed internally because maybe something is rubbing on the flywheel? Is this possible, and if not, any other thoughts? Thanks.
You may need a starter that is A/T specific. For example.....a SBF with a T-5 ****** needs an A/T starter or it will grind and scrub like you say. FoMoCo starters 'normally' don't require shims like one-of them Shivel-layz do. 6sally6
Yeah, the internal shims I mean are more Powermaster specific than engine brand. Here is a photo from the jags website of kind of what they look like.
https://www.powermastermotorsports.com/starters1.html Did you look here? You want 1/16 between ring gear and pinion
The sound is unavoidable from inside the car, but with engine noise and lifters and exhaust and everything else at the engine (outside the car) it’s not as noticeable. Something is rubbing on something though…or vibrating. I saw that 1/16” in the instructions, I just don’t know how to measure that. Wouldn’t I need to remove the bellhousing (and everything behind it) to make that measurement? As far as I know, this Ford “3.03” toploader doesn’t have a dust cover like an automatic would. I am wondering if THIS is more in order…
Just my thoughts, but those shims look as they would used to space the starter away from the ring gear? Most starters will come with instructions that explain why to measure and how. Did you get paperwork in the box?
Well, I’m an idiot. I got so fixated on the fact that everyone always said that Fords never need shims that I never even bothered to look for a dust cover. It looks like there is one. So I’ll pop that off and see what it looks like.
Thanks Mr. 48. I'm picking up a set of those tomorrow! I tried tonight at Advance but it was a needle in a haystack situation. They had a whole aisle in the back room full of Dorman stuff with shelves that were in no way organized. I had not luck and I think the clerk, who started out very patient, had lost his patience with the endeavor. It was not his store and I could tell how annoyed he was that the place was so disorganized. Stopped in and ordered one from O'Reilly instead. Now I'm wondering why Powermaster only mentions internally shimming the starter instead of getting one of these shims? I'll try this route first.
Wanted to post back with the “solution.” I tool the cover off after riding all over looking for that starter shim shown above by Mr. 48 and I. I dug out my feeler gauges and got to about 0.100” and looked in and there’s more than that. Then I said, “it sounded like a vibration or a rubbing sound…maybe my new battery cables are vibrating against the firewall or something. I shortened the negative cable and wiggled a bunch more stuff around. Then I said, “it was like something was loose…DAMN IT- just like last year- the tiny allen screw holding the top of tje Hildebrandt oil filter housing on! I had changed the oil a couple days before the old starter ****ped out. I need to put a set screw in a more accessible location for that lid.
The Jalopy Journal
