Thread: It ate up 10 starters in 2 years???

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A friend called me with a problem. He's put 10 starters in his 79 Blazer 350 engine in the past 2 years. He says he shims them properly, and doesn't over crank to start it. Yet he's constantly replacing starters. I can't get over to his place to see what the problem is, and we are always playing phone tag so we leave messages on the internet. I say it's a bent flywheel. Does anyone have any input on this problem. He says the problem began after he had some transmission work done.

What type/brand of starters is he buying? How did the starter fail? Is it a straight bolt pattern or offset bolt pattern starter? Is he using the starter brace that goes between the back of the starter and the engine block? When you buy a starter, you have to realize that there is a difference between a $60 brand new starer and a $120 remanufactured starter. I just had a starter fail on me, the commutator came apart and destroyed the brushes. I refused to buy any starter sold at Kragen because I know they are crap. I hunted down a Delco-Remey remanufactured starter and bought that. Delco is the original manufacturer of GM starters. I have never had to shim a starter, either. If you buy a good starter, built by the company who designed it, it will fit right. I also recommend you use offset bolt pattern starters because they are stronger and don't necessarily require a brace. I use an offset bolt pattern starter with no brace in my truck and have had no problems. GM made 2 starters in that year that will bolt up to that truck. There is a short body and long body. You can tell the difference because the connection between the solenoid and starter will have an extension in it. A short body starter might be too heavily loaded while trying to turn that engine over and burn itself out.

Hey 76,

Thanks for the quick reply. After reading it I called him and he says it's a short body, straight pattern. He's been getting them at Auto Zone. These are the $39 refurbished ones. He only bought one, and they have been replacing them when they burn out. I wished he had told me that in the beginning.

Thanks again

I had a similiar problem with my street rod I kept breaking the nose cones. I finally spent the bucks and went to the gear reduction starters. No problems since.

Is he running headers? If so, they are probably burning out the windings. ( heat ) Then, he'll need to wrap the headders with some thermotec wrap, and put a heat shield or heat blanket on the starter to boot.

I'll second the comment about the hi-torque starter. They work so dam good, it makes ya wonder why they don't come factory equipped!

Simple Bird77 clone. If they work that good, then you wont have to replace them. Thus it doesnt need a new starter from GM/AC delco. Also, tell your friend to try a drop of lock-tite on the bolts. Sometimes if they wiggle free just a hair, it'll eat the starter over a few months

I drove over to his place this morning to replace his starter. It was a short body, straight bolt pattern, no-name brand, with no rear bracket. From the marks on the gear I'd say the starter was bobbing up and down while cranking, binding on the flywheel, heating up, and burning out. I replaced it with a Delco long body and a new bracket...Now only time will tell.