Hi everyone!

I have purchased a tilton look-alike starter motor to install into my new v8 but I am having a hard time aligning the starter gear with the custom flywheel. I am wondering if TILTON is the ONLY starter that works with the archie v8 conversion. It's a pretty expensive starter that's why I bought the other model for $100.00 (x$270)

Anyway, I the starter gear gets caught in the ring gear or it "scratches" the ring gear or it makes a grinding noise when turning and then gets stuck. I have mounted the block as per v8 archie video instructions with the correct side in the "up" position and have watched the video several times to make sure i am following the correct instructions. Still, what seems like a simple task has taken days of my time and longer than necessary. The shape of my starter motor is identical to tilton and powermaster starters with the square flange and all.

I have also trimmed the bottom of it to clear the frame as instructed. Nothing is hitting the frame just the damn thing won't align right. Any comments? Otherwise, I guess I will save for a TILTON starter. If you can help in anyway, your input is appreciated.

Thanks!!

It sounds like you need to shim the starter. Buy some shims and slide them under the starter pad. If you need to, you can just shim one side (which mover the starter closer or farther). If this sounds too confusing, when you go to buy the shims, ask to see the installation instructions for a stock starter (they should be inside the box with the stock style starter).

Hope this helps,
Roy

You're gonna laugh at this. I bought two packets of shims. Been playing with them.
It seems like the starter is mouted slightly higher that it should. I can shim left to right but not up and down due to the holes on the mounting block and adaptor plate.
Thanks for your input though. I am the type of guy who runs into huge problems with simple things yet seem to be able to tackle the bigger tasks with ease. I have tried several combinations of shimming, loosening the bolts (2 and then the 4) adjusting the gear into the flywheel ring gear, etc. Then, when I test it...crap...it doesn't run right.
I will keep trying. If all fails, I will purchase a TILTON Starter which is what archie recommends anyway.

I got a universal gear reduction starter from the folks at Performance Chevy in Arizona for about $90 less than the Tilton. Had to modify it to work with my automatic though. I don't have their phone number but they run full page ads in a lot of hot rodding magazines.

Eric

Tell me Mario, just exactly which starter did you buy & I can tell you what you'll need
to do.

Archie

Hey Zorba,

I know exactly what you are going through. I had my starter lined up perfect the first time I put it on. But after running the car for a few miles I developed a oil leak on the passage right above the starter. Needless to say once I removed the starter I couldnt get it realigned the way it was and I eventually stripped out my flexplate and had to drop the engine again to replace it.

What I ended up doing was placing a washer on each of the bolts between the adapter plate and the mounting block of the starter ( I am however using the Tilton that came with my kit ) This is one of the main reasons that I purchased the kit to get the starter that was recommended. My advice to you is to be patient and make sure it lines up. Hate for you to have to do what I did. Meaning pulling the engine AGAIN. Good luck.

Scott

ANd I thought this was only happening to me. I was getting paranoid about my luck!
So you put a washer between the adaptor plate and the mounting block? I will try that. That would move the starter gear "back" toward the engine a bit, correct?
If the tilton wasn't $270.00, I would buy one. I got real cash poor this year!

quote Originally posted by Zorba: So you put a washer between the adaptor plate and the mounting block? I will try that.

Screw the washer idea....... that's jerryrigging.

Various "Other" starters have different distances between the starter mounting flange and the C-Line of the Pinion causing an "in & out" mounting variation. They also can have slight differences between the mounting holes and the Pinion C-Line causing an "up & down" variation.

This is more critical on the Automatic swap than the stick swap, but if you (or anyone else with one of my Automatic kits) can tell me which starter you bought, I might be able to help you.

Otherwise instead of using washers as spacers, you'll find that any parts store has starter shims designed to be used for pinion/ringear spacing.

Archie

I have a new in the box unopened Tilton Super starter that I paid $235 for. At one time I was going to do two V8 swaps. I changed my mind and now I need to sell this strater. Before I put it on ebay I was going to offer it to the forum. Forum price $175.

Jim
87 GT
87 GT T-TOP V8

do you do pay pal????

Does your starter also have this hole as shown below?

If it does then this is gonna be easy.

Archie

Hmmmmm. I purchased the kit ( that came with the recommended starter ) I still have to use washers to make it line up right, the designer of the kit calls it "jerryrigging". Dont see any other way of making it work right without the washers. I already caused more work than needed cause I stripped out one flexplate. Would hate to do it again.

Scott

V8,,, Archie is right..... It's a bad way to do it becuse it focuses load on a small area.

there are shims to go between the adaptor and the starter as well as the normal shims between the adaptor and block. the shim that goes between the adaptor and starter will spread the load to the entire mounting surface of the starter. washers focus all the load onto a small area wich can let the starter flex when it is running.

This is a picture of a Powermaster brand Tilton Style starter.

This information is additional to information I provided earlier in this thread.

On this starter you'll see that it is actually better than the old Tilton 54-101 model starter. In that it has 4 positions (#'s 1, 2, 3 & 4) that the starter can be mounted relative to the end block you see here. The Tilton has only 3 positions. You'll also notice that it has 2 mounting surfaces (A & B). When mounting this starter to a V-8 Fiero installation your goal is to mount it so that the Starter Solonoid (E) is as close to a right angle to surfaces A & B as you can get it. This is important on all V-8 swaps because the closer the Solonoid is to that right angle the more clearance you have for the remote oil filter mounting. This is more important on automatic swaps than it is on stick shift swaps

You'll notice in this picture that the starter is mounted from the manufacturer in position #2. On a stick shift V-8 swap you can get by using positions #1 or #2. You will observe that if you rotate the starter relative to the mounting block so that you are using hole #1 the surface E becomes closer to a right angle to surface A.

Additionally, as I stated earlier in this thread you'll notice that the left to right location of the pinion relative to the vertical mounting holes (in surface A) is not syemetrical. You'll see that the pinion is located just off to the right relative to those holes. You'll also notice that the pinion appears to be just a little bit closer to surface B than to surface A.

With this starter Mario and other Automatic swap owners would be much better off in starter to pinion location if they rotate the starter around and use hole pattern #4.

Hope this helps.

Archie

No. Mine does not have that hole on it. I just checked it. I think summit racing sells the type of starter you pictured. Powermaster. I also think it is cheaper than the other model. I will call them to find out. I think the one I have looks very similar but something is different enough to cause it not to align the way it is supposed to.