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I moved the Hooptie a couple weeks ago from the RV park we are staying in to a storage facility (not registered! can't stay here!) and during the process the MAP sensor failed. This caused a non-start issue with the engine management system. It was running fine when I parked it but refused to start again. I didn't have a laptop that would connect to it so I cranked the starter quite a few times trying to get a different result. Insanity right? Anyway, finally got a laptop connected and found the problem but in the process of this whole issue I realized my starter is VERY loud! It is a mini starter but that shouldn't make it any more or less noisy should it? What type noises should I listen for to find out if it needs shims or other type of adjustment? Never had to deal with this before. Here are a couple pics of the starter, installed and not installed.
I have that exact starter, no louder than any other mini starter. They are a bit noisier than factory starters. I have never needed shims on Olds starters.
Last edited by olds 307 and 403; September 12th, 2021 at 10:07 AM.
There is a spec for drive gear to ring gear in the powermaster instructions, outside that spec may require shims. Mine did not.
my powermster sounds little to no different than a factory starter in good working order
Frankly I'd be more worried about shorting the stud on that header tube in the first photo.
LOL! Since the starter AND the headers are firmly bolted on and cannot therefore move, they should never make contact. But I truly appreciate your concern Joe! Not really certain what more I can do to protect them. Any tips? Perhaps the starter is so loud because I don't have a dust cover in place?
Bit of an update on this. Last time I moved the car from the storage yard to the garage the starter was actually skipping off the ring gear teeth and making a gawdawful noise. I jacked the car up and loosened the starter bolts and moved the starter as close to the engine as possible with the small amount of clearance available in the bolt holes. I was thinking of you, Joe, when I disconnected the battery to do this. That made the noise of the starter a bit quieter and I was able to start the car and drive it home. The starter is just barely engaging the teeth of the ring gear on the flex plate. That tells me that I don't need shims, I need more clearance in the holes to move the starter closer to the flex plate. Has anyone ever done such a thing? Is it as simple as drilling the bolt holes out a size or two larger so it can be moved around? I suppose I could grind the bolts down to a smaller diameter where they fit through the starter but retain the full size of the threaded end. Those are the only things I can think of that won't require modding the engine block. Any other suggestions?
Do not drill the holes, starters require special knurled bolts that keep the alignment correct. If the starter is not aligning to the flexplate there are other issues you need to address. From your picture the starter looks cocked with the back closer to the pan than the front moving the starter gear away from the flexplate.
I had a the same situation recently when installing a new RobbMc starter. Their design has a provision for shimming the mounting block to adjust the depth of engagement between the pinion and flywheel. Adding a shim moves the gear toward the flywheel. Is that possible on your starter?
Do not drill the holes, starters require special knurled bolts that keep the alignment correct. If the starter is not aligning to the flexplate there are other issues you need to address. From your picture the starter looks cocked with the back closer to the pan than the front moving the starter gear away from the flexplate.
We have already moved way beyond that. The factory starter bolts are way too long for this starter. It was pure luck that I had a couple standard bolts that were the right length. The starter only moves 1/16 inch so it is just an illusion of being crooked.
I had a the same situation recently when installing a new RobbMc starter. Their design has a provision for shimming the mounting block to adjust the depth of engagement between the pinion and flywheel. Adding a shim moves the gear toward the flywheel. Is that possible on your starter?
Sadly, no. It has an option to clock the solenoid but the front mounting block is solid and the motor is always centered. I'll have to take it down and see if there are other options built into the starter.
Dredging this back up with an update. I finally took the starter off today and decide what to do about this. First, I had to take the header completely loose in order to get the starter out. Once out, I found there were no adjustments built into the starter, so I went old school in it. I grabbed my round file and elongated the bolt holes so that I could slide the starter closer to the engine. I only needed 1/16 to 1/8 inch movement to achieve full engagement. It sounds much quieter and smoother now but I also found a few warts along the way. I found that the solenoid connector is simply a press-fit plastic insulator with a stud through the middle. And it apparently loosens up when subjected to heat. I applied some super glue to it to hold it tightly while I installed it. Dunno how long that will last but it should be fine as long as I don't have to take it out for a while. The wires connected to that stud on the inside are soldered on, but very poorly. I had to re-solder them. I expect I will be replacing this starter long before it actually wears out. For now though, it works well.
Last edited by cjsdad; March 15th, 2022 at 09:08 AM.
After seeing all your issues, I bought the Powermaster to replace this starter that will go on my new 358. I still plan on using it, just not on my 70S and will check engagement.
September 12th, 2021, 09:26 AM
