sbc starter bolt torque?

what should the starter bolts be torqued to??

 

I just crank 'em tight as possible with a 3/8" drive handle and have never had a problem with them.

 

IAW the 1971 Chevrolet service manual. " Tourqe the main mount bolts to 25-35 ft ibs and then tighten the brace bolt".

 

Let's start an "anal question" contest !!

 

Tighten until the alum starts too crack, then back off 2 turns....

 

at my wits end trying to cure the starter grinding problem, I'm checking enerything...if thats anal, well, then I guess I am

 

No problem, I have a new signature !!

 

"at my wits end trying to cure the starter grinding problem"

Then I would suggest you get some Starter Shims and a Paperclip and check the clearance
between the starter and the flywheel.

 

had it shimmed before, instead of paperclip used an 1/8 in. allen wrench to check the space between ring gear and starter drive, worked great for awhile but had to put a pretty good stack of shims under the outer bolt - crakcked the starter drive housing - gonna try it now with fewer shims...

 

I have had to mill off the crap nose cones of a reman starter to get it CLOSER to cure that problem. Are you using the knurled bolts?

 

2nd on knurled bolts

 

35 ft lbs, like most other grade 5 3/8"-16 bolts.

 

I strongly suggest you buy yourself a IRON NOSE starter ...



They were originally installed on 60's high performance engines.



GM also has knurled special bolts for starters and I also like to run a brace ...



You can see the brace already on the used IRON NOSE starter ...

 

I had THE most horrible grinding sound I've ever heard on the starter on the sbc in my Apache. I was not in the mood to blow $ on a new starter, esp since the starter worked fine.
I dropped out a bolt to find it was just a 4 1/2" grade 8 bolt. Hmm. Did I put that in there? I went to napa and got 2 KNURLED bolts ($8) and bolted it back up. In 20 minutes (including the trip to napa) I feel like I have a new truck! No more grinding!! Hopefully the neighbor wont come out in his underwear at 5am to give me the 'stink-eye' when I fire it up to go to work.
I don't really understand what the knurl really does, but it fixed my problem!
THANKS AGAIN TO THE HAMB FOR SAVING MY ASS!!


thats all.

 

The knurl makes for good alignment. The brace keeps it inalignment. Think one of the holes in the block are cracked ?? $0.02

 

It sounds like you're using different amounts of spacer on each bolt, am I reading that right?

Are you real real real sure there's not a sketchy spot on the flywheel gear?

good luck

 

well, mine started fine w/ no noise. Then I went back later and tried to start it. GRRRRRRRRRIIIII-PING! Its baaack.
I loosened the bolts and tightened them back up and it started fine. Then the next time....same grind. Noticed the battery is getting LOW too. Doesnt want to start now just sounds NASTY.
Tomorrow I'll take it all apart, clean it up (kinda oily down there) and charge or replace the battery. A brace is prob. a good idea too if I can find one.

 

I also chased a starter problem for ever!!!!. I'll bet I pulled that starter out, shimmed it, jiggled it, banged it, and swore at it over 100 times.
I bought the knurled bolts and put it in one more time and it's been in ever since, and not a grind to be heard.
I hung the old bolts up over my bench as a reminder of the frustration those SOB's caused......

 

"THAT GUY WITH THE COUPE" ... Anal question? Me thinks NOT. I am searching for the answer to the same question. I have two cast iron snout, staggered bolt SBC starters and I have broken both of the castings from overtightening. My first thought on this subject is to "tighten till it strips, then back off half a turn" ... well that ain't working for me, the casting is breaking before I can strip the bolt. Thanks to all who actually bothered to answer this rather than just shooting this down as an "anal question".

I am actually NOT having a grinding issue here. I use the knurled bolts, I also use the starter-to-block bracket and I shim if necc. using the 1/8" method ... no problems with starter grind, I just keep breaking the castings (I am using the cast iron snout starters). I have now run out of that style of (functioning) starter and am about to install a small staggered-bolt starter out of a 1995 Pickup (it has the aluminum snout) so I also was needing to know the correct torque specs for a SBC starter.


I also just returned from the GM dealer, bought the correct "factory GM" starter bolts. Gonna go with 35 ft/lbs

 

My dad always told me to get it as tight as you can, then get one more turn on it.

 

Check for hairline cracks in the block at the outside bolt hole.

This happened to me, the crack was barely visible, but it would allow the starter to shift slightly and would grind badly and not work once the starter moved a little.

 

ALL of my SB starter so-called, "knurled" bolts fit about like a good Grade-8 so go from there.

And if you don't have a shim, then use a 3/8" flat washer on each bolt between the block and the starter snout.

And, right, try to use a CORRECT bolt pattern for the flywheel/flexplate/bell housing size cast-iron snouted starter if one has been offered from GM vs alumninum, imho......

My '67SS 350 engine had an 11" starter w/ a staggered bolt pattern that cross referenced to the big 427/454 starter back then so it was definately a heavi-duty starter.

And You can tell a h-d starter b/c it will have like a 7/8" to maybe a 1-1/8" long copper tube shim between the housing's field coil pigtail and the rear of the Bendix!!

This is because the field coils are way long and oversized and thus are able to produce more torque!

pdq67

 

I see on my starter that the knurl sticks out 1/8" to 3/16" on the block side of the starter.

Am I missing a lock washer under the head of the bolt?

Seems odd to screw these straight knurls into the threaded holes of the block... ???