I've got an 84 and the long starter bolt keeps on breaking off inside the block. It isn't much trouble to drill it out but the broken ends are going into the bottom of my oil pan I think. I've got through about 4 or 5 in the last year. I put the car on ramps every few weeks to make sure the bolts are torqued down but it never fails. It always breaks. It isn't difficult to remove the broken bolt and replace it but it's bloody annoying and I'm worrying about the pieces of bolt in the bottom of my engine.

Has anyone else had this problem??? Any ideas??

that's a new one on me.

are you sure you are getting the correct bolt? (size / grade)

and i dont know if it would help. but a lot of GMs come with a bracket to help hold the back of the starter in place. most get tossed the first time the starter gets changed but you might look in to it.

Are you using the right amount of shims when you mount the starter? Sounds like its binding up when it engages flywheel to me...
Its really rare for any GM car not to have a shim or 2.

I keep hearing about shims, but I have taken apart at least 10 Fiero engines and have never found a single shim. Sounds like the wrong bolt. This is a special bolt, identified by the knerlled (SP) pattern.

shimming a GM starter is a must. my Fiero starter is shimmed. my suburban starter is shimmed - now. it wasnt shimmed when I got it. it wrecked the flywheel. with no shim, it was to far from flywheel, the teeth barely grabbed, finally a tooth broke, then another...on & on. yours sounds like it needs to be shimmed away from the flywheel. I dont think the starter put out enough torque to bust its own nuts (bolts..whatever...), so I would guess that the motor is starting, and the flywheel is pushing on the starter for a bit before it disengages. must sound like hell when cranking.

When we replaced the on my '84 SE there waas a shim.

No shims in either one of my dukes bit my V6 has a pretty thick one.

Shimming info is in my cave.

NEVER assume that because the old starter did or did not have shims that it is correct for the new starter. Every starter install, whether new rebuilt or used parts, has to be checked.

Very few people shim GM starters properly and I doubt many even know how. Even so called pros at many shops mess it up either because they don't know or don't care.

Repeatedly Breaking bolts is usually a small number of things. the wrong bolts, wrong bolt torque, wrong shim setup, or missing brackets. Or a combination of all thre above.

I don't know about older ones but my 87 L4 does have an extra bracket to support the far end of the starter. Even if a car never had one doesn't mean it isn't a good thing to add if you can. Starters are bloody heavy and need all the support they can get.

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The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

i replaced a starter on my duke several times, some did not requre shims, while one wore out in a week due to no shim causing the starter to engage wrong. The shims are a pain in the ass to put in, but are most likely your problem.

My starter has the bracket shown by spark above. It attaches to two studs on the starter and has a bolt or two into the block.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Are you using the right amount of shims when you mount the starter? Sounds like its binding up when it engages flywheel to me... Its really rare for any GM car not to have a shim or 2.

I would have to say that Roger and others here are pinpointing your problem. There must be at least .010" clearance between the end of the starter gear and the flywheel (flexplate) ring gear measured with a wire feeler gauge. If there is no clearance the pressure on the starter bolts will increase to the point where the bolts can shear off or even jam the starter when it engages. Believe it.

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http://www.turbochargerpower.com/turbo.htm

This happened to me once also on my 84. Except it was not easy to get those bolts out. Ended up destroying the threads on the block. The end diagnostic was that my machanic overtorqued them.

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