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What starter are you using?
Are any of olds/Pontiac starters smaller than another, the one I have is huge.
I use to run sbc/4.3 v6 mini starters on my bbc with no issues.
I need more clearance
The 307 starters are slightly smaller, but also have less torque. Personally I've never had a problem with the Delco starter and headers on any of my Oldsmobiles. Yeah, it's tight, and you have to loosen the header to get the starter in and out, but I've never had to use a mini starter.
I’m with Joe. The A body cars have plenty of starter room, even with headers. The G body cars are tighter, if the Delco starters are too much of a hassle use a Powermaster. Either way, make sure the battery is fully charged, and the cables are in good ELECTRICAL shape, not just a visual inspection. The best starter won’t work properly if it can’t get the power it needs
Same here, I have a full size high torque starter and Heddman headers. There is room but for removal/installation the starter has to be maneuvered jnto place and not just drop straight down / push straight up; it needs to be moved forward, then angles so it fits through the gap between the headers and the oil pan. I actually like this as the header will catch the starter after the bolts are removed so it doesn't drop all the way down and I can easily remove the wires, then the same thing for installation.
Last edited by Fun71; Jun 30, 2020 at 01:09 PM.
Reason: added header brand for clarity
Same here, I have a full size high torque starter and headers. There is room but for removal/installation the starter has to be maneuvered jnto place and not just drop straight down / push straight up; it needs to be moved forward, then angles so it fits through the gap between the headers and the oil pan. I actually like this as the header will catch the starter after the bolts are removed so it doesn't drop all the way down and I can easily remove the wires, then the same thing for installation.
Yeah, the "starter rest" to let you disconnect the wires is a nice feature with that 800 lb GM starter.
Depends on the headers.
e.g., the ARH SBO headers *require* a Powermaster starter - nothing else fits.
The RobbMC starter is a very nice unit, similar construction to the stock units, but much smaller.
Full size starter would not fit on the 350 block with headers in my 67. I had to get a mini starter. The contacts are on the side of this one so I had to clearance the header slightly. Still haven't fired it so I don't know if it will work or not but it's in there.
Full size starter would not fit on the 350 block with headers in my 67.
Header manufacturers route tubes differently, so fitment with one brand may be different from fitment with another. My lone headers-on-SBO experience was with a set of Doug Thorley headers back in the mid-70s. Mini starters didn't even exist then. The Delco fit (tightly, but it fit). All my cars with headers since then have been BBOs with no issues.
My powermaster fired up the 10:1 compression engine I just installed in a manual trans car. no problems with no shim adjustment necessary. I do see a potential problem with the positive lug exposed and all that header tubing an inch away.
Depends on the headers.
e.g., the ARH SBO headers *require* a Powermaster starter - nothing else fits.
The RobbMC starter is a very nice unit, similar construction to the stock units, but much smaller.
Thanks for the info. This also came up in the thread about using the larger 51049 oil filter and apparently that won't fit with some brands of headers. My 350 has Heddman headers and the factory starter fits and the 51049 oil filter also fits. Seems as if I got lucky and chose the right headers.
I do see a potential problem with the positive lug exposed and all that header tubing an inch away.
An inch away wouldn't bother me too much as the headers and starter are both rigidly attached to the block and shouldn't move in relation to each other. The picture above shows a fairly long stud, so if yours is the same can you trim it down for additional clearance? Or maybe flatten the header tube slightly - I recall someone posted an article where the exhaust flow was measured and even fairly mangled tubes still flowed well.
Full size starter would not fit on the 350 block with headers in my 67. I had to get a mini starter. The contacts are on the side of this one so I had to clearance the header slightly. Still haven't fired it so I don't know if it will work or not but it's in there.
I believe you can clock the body of that starter is your remove the 4 bolts that hold it together.
I believe you can clock the body of that starter is your remove the 4 bolts that hold it together.
You can, but the terminals are more-or-less inline with the pinion, so they don't move much. Clocking is to get the main body of the motor to move around.
I believe you can clock the body of that starter is your remove the 4 bolts that hold it together.
Now why didn't I think of that? Sorry, no. Not this one. It can be rotated (two screws) but the motor and solenoid are one unit and the motor cannot be rotated on the housing because of the interlinking wires. Rotating it swings the whole unit to one side or the other. If I go one way it hits the pan. If I go the other way, it hits the headers. The connections are on the solenoid though not the motor.
