Why wont the lt1 starter work in my 88 305 tpi??? I just installed it now it spins but wont ingauge it just wines what is the problem

 

It SHOULD work. I have one on my 91 Camaro right now. It's a carbureted engine but the bottom end (including the block and flexplate) are straight from an L-98.

When diagnosing weird starter problems I often find it helpful to jack up the car, climb under and actually WATCH the starter engagement as someone else turns the key. I GUARANTEE you will emerge from underneath of your car with new knowlege of what's actually going on.

 

Damon, Is right check it out. You might need some shimms or you might need to shimm it down a little, eirther way it sounds like it's not making the correct contact with the flywheel.

 

where do i get shims... the starter engauges but is to far away from the flywheel to connect?!?!?!

 

Something's not right here. Any shims you install will move the starter's spur gear further AWAY from the flexplate teeth- exactly the opposite of what you need.

If the starter's spur gear is so far away from the flexplate teeth now that it just "free wheels" when you turn the key then there's a basic mismatch of parts going on here.

Little history......

GM has used 2 basic flexplate/flywheel diameters over the years.... 153 tooth (smaller) and 168 tooth (larger). Starters were different between the two to match up with the different diameters. Passenger car engines generally got the smaller 153 tooth units. Trucks and heavy duty applications generally got the larger 168 tooth units.

What it sounds like to me is that you have a smaller 153 tooth flexplate but a starter for a larger 168 tooth application. This should NOT be the case (LT-1 engines for F-bodies used a smaller 153 tooth flexplate and matching starter). Yet this sounds like what is happening here. How sure are you about what starter you have? I'm wonding if you have an LT-1 starter for a B-body (Caprice) application that MIGHT have used the larger flexplate (I'm jsut guessing at that, I don't know if that's true). Regardless, the starter is likely the problem here.

 

BTW- thank you for taking the time to dive under the car and actually look for yourself. You'd be surprised how few people take advice like that. Most hope for the "magic fix" from internet advice without doing any of the leg work themselves.

 

Just so you know, the B/D-body LT1's used the exact same starter and 153-tooth flexplate as the F-body, so no chance of that being the problem. (but, it wouldn't be a bad guess otherwise...)

Are you sure you really have an LT1 starter?