Thread: 79 burb' with 400 sbc keeps eating up fly wheel and starters

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im working on 79 chevy with 400 and it keeps eating up the starters and fly wheels, ive shimmed it and tried everything I know off,
anyone have any Ideas?? what am i Missing??
it is mostly stock with RV cam, headers..
any help suggestions would be appreciated.
thanks
Larry

pull some timming out it could be kicking back check power feed line off starter hi drain in amp.s grounds points as well . shimming is not always the way to go many times starter needs to go up in the fly wheel ,Air Gap must be checked .starter may be going in to far check starter drive . used real starter bolts there made it fit up in the block the bolts are knurled just past threads

Besides using new real knurled starter bolts--------is the flywheel on backwards???????

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Besides using new real knurled starter bolts--------is the flywheel on backwards???????

i seen that built a 355 blower engine for a guy many years ago was bitching me out for the wrong fly wheel.. when the start bolts he used bottom out in the block first starter was not up to the block .the starter she was a hang gliding

I've only seen it twice in 40 years but, you may need to verify the flywheel is concentric to the bell housing.

Originally Posted by 34_40

I've only seen it twice in 40 years but, you may need to verify the flywheel is concentric to the bell housing.

well i done this on all mild to race stick trans engines . this keep from killing input bearing and pilot bearing .the trans can /bell has no roll in the chevy as the starter bolts to block not bell /can. the air gap must be checked from fly wheel to starter drive gear

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

well i done this on all mild to race stick trans engines . this keep from killing input bearing and pilot bearing .the trans can /bell has no roll in the chevy as the starter bolts to block not bell /can. the air gap must be checked from fly wheel to starter drive gear

Yep, as I said, seen a couple hurt the flywheel/flexplate. Just offering something else to check.

ive put new bolts, not sure about fly wheel but I will double check it.. previous mechanic used die grinder and slotted old fly wheel so torque converter would fit. it cracked so this is when the problems started. it has had two different flywheels since then. ive been chevy nut my entire life but have never ran into this before..
how do you check air gap?? never heard of that one before....
is there any difference between a 153 tooth starter and a 168 tooth starter??
in my defense ive never messed with any 400s as ive only owned one and it was back in the day when heads were famous for cracking. I yanked it and put in a 327.

I will back timing off and see if i can tell if flywheel may have been installed backwards.
thanks
Larry

Originally Posted by twoblularry

ive put new bolts, not sure about fly wheel but I will double check it.. previous mechanic used die grinder and slotted old fly wheel so torque converter would fit. it cracked so this is when the problems started. it has had two different flywheels since then. ive been chevy nut my entire life but have never ran into this before..
how do you check air gap?? never heard of that one before....
is there any difference between a 153 tooth starter and a 168 tooth starter??
in my defense ive never messed with any 400s as ive only owned one and it was back in the day when heads were famous for cracking. I yanked it and put in a 327.

I will back timing off and see if i can tell if flywheel may have been installed backwards.
thanks
Larry

if a bone stock 400 you need a 400 external bal wheel 168 tooth i seen were wheel is stamped for only the big bolt pattren converter many have been sloted it will not hurt if bolts fit good with no slop if so they can move and bang around and crack fly wheels i most all the time use a HD wheel with thicker center . check air gap is in all new starter boxs they give you a round wire to check the gap from ring gear to starter drive gear . the solenoid should be taken off the starter push in by hand check in 3 spots of fly wheel if checks out then put solenoid back on and should be ok .if not then shimming or trimming the starter body with a big file or mill till you get the air gap . i have milled many of small mini starter to get the were they needed to be

I need for you to positively write that you have NEW, KNURLED, OEM (or Dorman,etc)not Ace hardware or Lowes< starter bolts for the proper GMC application, and that the flexplate is the proper one for an external balanced crank and is installed correctly-------until you positively answer these questions, you might as well be trying to raise the tide by peeing ing the water-------

and that you did not force the tranny housing to the block or the converter to the flexplate by pulling it together with the bolts(example---if the converter center doesn't enter the end of the crank properly, you will have an severe distorsion of the flexplate ending up with the results you are discribing---flywheel runout, killing starter breaking flexplate------

they only made a zillion or so of what you have .. if you have the right stuff it will work ...