aCiD99

I have a 5.3L out of a 2004 Envoy, and two different starters from Camaro LS1s. Also am using a McLeod bell housing (which has proven to be an absolute piece of ****).

Now I'm under the impression these starters are interchangeable, but I want to confirm that.

Here's the problem, install the starter, bolt it up properly, when you go to start it, you here the gear pop out and that's it. Then if you turn the motor by hand as soon as you move it the smallest amount you hear the gear pop back in, like it's immediately binding up.

The motor turns freely like it should, we've tried it with the plugs out, with every possible power source imaginable hooked up directly to the starter, every possible method of grounding, so I think it's been ruled out to not be an electrical issue at all but a mechanical one.

Any ideas?

mark21742

Try a starter shim to slightly move the starter away from the flywheel...never had this issue with an ls motor, but could see it needing one

aCiD99

Even though it uses bolts which go up into the block and not back into the bell housing?

mark21742

Yup, the shims will pull it farther away from the center of the flywheel so it will ride father out on the flywheel teeth... Start out with the thinest one you can find, and see if that helps

aCiD99

Alright, will begin trying that tonight. Thanks.

But the starters should be compatible though?

aCiD99

I just wanted someone to let me know if they are compatible? That's a big issue right now.

Project382

iTrader: (19)

This is a good question. I'm not sure if this will help you but I looked up the GM part numbers and they are different. 98-02 Fbody is 10465385 and an 04 Envoy 5.3L is part number 10465561.

Maybe you could take the fbody starters into a parts store and ask to see the Envoy starter then compare?

aCiD99

Well the part number difference can be attributed to the fact an LS1 starter uses one full length bolt, and one short bolt, and the Envoy starter uses two full length bolts.

Of course we're using the correct length bolts, I just wanted to know if the alignment of the snout and things was the same.

mark21742

They "should be" interchangable... I used my stock starter out of my 04 GTO when I did my 408 swap (03 6.0 iron block)

The only other thing I could think of is if one flywheel is bigger (more teeth) than the other

aCiD99

I'm thinking this could be very possible.

I shimmed the hell out of it in every direction possible last night to no avail.

I'm going to pick up the correct part number today from Autozone and see if that makes any difference.

Thanks

Slamdsdime

So glad I saw this thread! I am having almost the exact same issue. Engine is an '03 LQ4, mated to an LS1 T56. The truck starter bound up everytime the starter turned over, and no amount of shimming would fix it. I used an LS1 flywheel, so I was hoping that switching to an M6 LS1 starter would fix my problem. Let me know if you get it figured out, because I'm starting to wonder if I got the wrong flywheel.

-Slamd-

aCiD99

I'm using an LS1 T56, and a McLeod twin disc so it's an LS1 flywheel as well with an LS1 starter, still not working though for some reason.

I guess the blocks are different so things don't line up the same?

I'll report back tomorrow after I get the LQ starter and see what happens!

madmax4499

iTrader: (3)

ttt any info?

aCiD99

They're the same, turned out we had a power supply issue.