Thread: chevy 427 11.5:1 comp starter prob's

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my starter on my big block 427 punched to 436ci is causing me fits. I would like to know if anybody knows about these 1/8" shim kits that summit sells or anyone else for that matter. it seems as if anything I do to this thing it doesn't want to turn over well.
This engine was dynoed and we had no problem at the shop with it and since i put it in the car it has been giving me troubles. I have regrounded and checked all my wiring for the starter but to no avail. any help folks?

heat,starter/s noid,wiring,f wheel, msd for timing delay when starting..alt/battery many things......

The starter is grinding like it needs to be shimmed ? I was wondering about the 1/8 " GM shim used on BB chevy's with the staggered mount, I've not seen one before so maybe that is the problem?
Thanks for your help so far.
I have gone ahead and ordered a shim kit from Summit Racing that has this shim in it and will try that and let you all know what happens.

Thanks, Raysir

Had the same problem with my LS6 454, especially when hot. Ended up having to put a remote solenoid on it. Those headers really heat up the starter and solenoid.

Are you having a problem when it's cold?

Try larger dia wires to the starter and ground. Make sure it's well grounded.

Yes Poncho62,
It does it when it's cold as soon as I hit the key it grinds, so I'm not sure if it will do it after being warmed up.
The Battery is in the trunk with heavy guage wire (large, Low resistance) Battery does'nt seem to be the problem it just sems to be aout of alignment. But it doesn't seem to matter what we shim it with .015" is the common shims added those 1,2,3, of them in combinations and it doesn't like it. High Torque starter from GM. Also had a remote solinoid on it for years but when I went to the BB it became the weak link so I went back to the one on the starter now it seems fine in that area. I was able to get the starter to work for me for about a day, but as I played with car it just got progressively worse until it was back to where we are now and can't seem to get it back.
Thanks for your help

Raysir,

Sounds like a shim problem, with that grinding.................

Ring gear is OK?

Yes the ring gear on the flexplate looks great and the gear on the starter is also fine. (SO FAR)! I just quit messin with it until I can come up with a better shim package. Otherwise I will be buying another starter. Ya know what I mean. It is the worst sound when that ring gear and starter gear don't work together, it like sending out a sound of "I'm dead in the water here" to the whole neighborhood.
Thanks again,

Raysir,

Just for curiosity sake have you tried a different starter? Sounds like you have tried everything else so it's worth a shot

Pat

My old Big Block would just blow the starter off the block, had so much compression it would actually flex the flex plate then it would just snap the starter bolts or break the starter nose off, tried several different high tourqe G.M. starters,
I found an adapter that let ya put a chrysler gear reduction starter on but after it broke 2 of those adapters we gave up on that Idea.
Final deal was a small diameter Quarter master flywheel and a tilton starter, but it still spun it over way too slow, We finally added a toogle switch to the ignition feed wich allowed us to get her cranking and then throw the ignition to it and that did the trick...