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Anyone get squeal with a new starter install? Did you shim it?
I've tried 2 starters now.
SUM-829200
Bosch SR8581N
Both squeal as if the starter teeth are engaging the flywheel for too long.
No stripped bolt holes
Torque to spec 37 ft/lbs.
I'm using a 168 tooth B&M flexplate 20304 which was working fine with the stock starter.
The only reason why I replaced the stock one is because I read that the truck starters with the longer bolt could save my block from cracking where the starter mounts.
It's not belts. Those were removed and the problem is there.
Has anyone used the 2 bolt truck starter with success? What brand was used? Was it with a stock or aftermarket flex plate? No high pitched screech on startup?
I have a B&M 168 tooth flex plate (same as stock), so maybe the stock starter with one long bolt and one small bolt has the tolerances to handle any slight differences in my aftermarket flex plate while the BOSCH SR8581N and SUM-829200 does not. The starting position of the gear on the bendix has me wondering where the position of that gear is on these that use the long 2 bolts:
ACDELCO 3231637
ACDELCO 3361932A
ACDELCO 3231656
AC DELCO 3371115 uses 1 long and 1 short bolt, the stock replacement.
The AC Delco truck starter looks like the gear is pushed in a little more than the aftermarket ones I've seen. Still not tucked in like stock 4th gen fbody. I'm not sure how big of a difference this makes as the contact point on the flywheel when extended is what matters. I really need to get this on a lift and have someone start it while I look at the contact points. A little water based paint on the teeth of the starter gear should tell what is actually happening here. I wonder if the problem goes away with a stock flywheel with one of these truck starters lol.....
I checked the starters on the testing device at O'Reilly and both the OEM one and the SUM one extended fully and spun without issue.
Could the build height on the converter is off just enough to cause the B&M flex plate to not work with the aftermarket truck starter? Could it be that the stock design short bolt starter can handle the difference in the converter being off (no screeching) but the truck starter cannot? I thought I was 1/8th off the pads during install. Really don't want to pull the trans....
Last edited by 5.7stroker; Jul 18, 2018 at 11:59 PM.
Could the build height on the converter is off just enough to cause the B&M flex plate to not work with the aftermarket truck starter? Could it be that the stock design short bolt starter can handle the difference in the converter being off (no screeching) but the truck starter cannot? I thought I was 1/8th off the pads during install. Really don't want to pull the trans....
IDK what to tell you. With the converter full seated you want between 1/8-1/4 gap from the feet to the flexplate. If you have that then you can probably rule that out. When did this squealing start?
IDK what to tell you. With the converter full seated you want between 1/8-1/4 gap from the feet to the flexplate. If you have that then you can probably rule that out. When did this squealing start?
It was seated correctly. Pump would be bad by now if not. The screeching started just after installing the new starter. The only thing I can think of is that the B&M flex plate is slightly off from stock but the OEM stock starter can still work with it with no screeching but as soon as I try the truck starters, no dice. I'm about to just get an MSD which you can adjust the starter itself. Some yellow paint on the starter gear should tell where it's hitting on the flywheel. Just pisses me off because this was supposed to be a simple bolt in solution and it's turning into a PITA.
Dude, no doubt about it. Its too deep. Way too deep.
I dont buy the longer bolt bullshit keeping from cracking the block. personally. You can run as long a bolt as you want but the amount of bolt that is in the block shouldn't change. Only way my starter is getting changed is if it quits working.
Anyway, you need to shim the hell out of that starter because its too deep.
I still don't understand how is it that the factory OEM starter is fine, but these Bosch and summit starters are too deep? Especially on an application where you aren't suppose to shim it?
Won't shimming it just increase the risk of cracking the block or should I throw two 1/32" washers in between the block and the starter on each bolt? They don't make shims that line up flush with these ls1 starters. I'm about to just put the stock one back in, send this POS Bosch back to Rockauto, and take my chances with the block cracking. Then when it comes time to drop the tranny for whatever reason, go with a TCI flexplate and a Powermaster 9509.
Originally Posted by JakeFusion
I installed an LS3 starter. It squeaked for a few months. Once it self-clearanced with my Hughes SFI flexplate, it was fine.
What did the flex plate teeth look like after those 2 months?
Won't shimming it just increase the risk of cracking the block or should I throw two 1/32" washers in between the block and the starter on each bolt? They don't make shims that line up flush with these ls1 starters. I'm about to just put the stock one back in, send this POS Bosch back to Rockauto, and take my chances with the block cracking. Then when it comes time to drop the tranny for whatever reason, go with a TCI flexplate and a Powermaster 9509.
I have never shimmed an LS1 starter so idk what the shims look like for them. Idk why it wouldn't just be a straight shim with holes in each end. If you wanna use washers that should be fine and I don't think that is going to make the block more likely to crack.
Installed the power master 9509 and it works perfectly. Didn't even have to shim it. No screeching, no grinding, just perfect engagement on the flex plate teeth. All I had to do was use the clock adjustment feature on it and clock it 30 degrees away from the block to get it to fit. Plenty of header clearance with the speed engineering headers.
So if you have an aftermarket flex plate, I'd save yourself the potential hassle and just get a power master rather than a Bosch SR8581N or SUM-829200.
Last edited by 5.7stroker; Mar 22, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
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Anyone get squeal with a new starter install? 
