Sbc starter alignment problem??

I am trying to put the starter on a new motor/****** combo in a friends 57 Chevy truck. The motor is a 305 and the trans is the original 4 speed with the granny low.
Its the starter that bolts to the original bell housing.
I got a new flywheel and its the correct one.... I think.

The starter seems to be binding when its engaged and turning the motor over.

Any idea what the problem might be?

I also have the starter that bolts up into the block but I have heard that the lower ear has to be cut off the original bell housing, is this correct?

 

I've used a block mounted starter with that bellhousing without cutting...been a long time ago though. Try it and see if it fits.

Could be a defective starter, or a problem with the engine, or a bad ring gear (yes new parts are bad sometimes).

 

I've seen a similar problem where the block had been dropped on the starter boss. I had to use some shims to get it to work.

 

maybe its not shimed properly. with the starter gear engaged with the ring gear you should be able to use a standard paperclip as a gauge to space the started...my 2cents

 

Is it possible or necessary to shim the starter back? I am talking about the starter that bolts to the bell housing. It seems that it needs to shim down, but thats not possible.

 

shims won't do a lot of good with a starter that bolts to the bell housing . as already suggested , i'd be tempted to try a starter that bolts to the block

 

The bellhousing mounted starter takes the engine block out of the equation. I prefer to use the truck set up even in p***enger cars with a Ford solenoid mounted on the firewall and the GM solenoid jumped.

Take a flexible tape measure and make sure that the new flywheel is the same cir***ference as the old one. You can tape the tape to the flywheel and turn it by hand under the truck.

Good luck, Bob

 

There are only two sizes of flywheels, and they're over an inch different in diameter

 

Here's an idea. Does it say something to the effect on the bellhousing, "this bellhousing to remain with the engine it was originally attached to"? It would be on the top and be in cast/embosed letters. The Hydros that came in trucks were matched to blocks, and I seem to remember the granny****** was the same as far as the bellhousing warning. Anyway, get a set of Moroso block alignment dowels and set it up to be concentric. There's really no way to adjust bellhousing mounted starters like there is with block mounted starters. Sure the battery is fully charged and everything's well grounded? The starter motor solenoid plunger on SOME of the early starters can be adjusted for lenth, maybe it's over/under engaging. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Thanks for all the help.
We took the new starter that we were trying to use and compaired it to the old starter and the nose cone on the new one was much fatter. We ground off some of the fatter parts where it was colliding and got it free to move slightly on its mounting bolts. Then we noticed that the three holes in the starter were not all the same size. This slop in the holes allowed for a little rotation for adjustment. Couldnt adjust it till we ground down the fat nose cone though.

Problem solved.

The hamb does it again. Thanks.