flywheel teeth sheared off
07-09-2012, 03:33 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Johnstown, PA
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 94 camaro z28
Engine: lt1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.73
flywheel teeth sheared off
The car is a 1986 T/A currently with a 383 and a T5 but started as an LG4 car.
When I go to start it it made a terrible grinding so I stopped right away to check it out. It appears the starter isnt making contact with the flywheel the whole way and its been like that for a while because the whole thing looks like this.
Now i dont know why the starter isnt lining up or if the flywheel is toast but any help would be appreciated as I've only had the car two weeks and cant keep throwing money at it Ill have to sell it if i cant get it running again soon.
When I go to start it it made a terrible grinding so I stopped right away to check it out. It appears the starter isnt making contact with the flywheel the whole way and its been like that for a while because the whole thing looks like this.
Now i dont know why the starter isnt lining up or if the flywheel is toast but any help would be appreciated as I've only had the car two weeks and cant keep throwing money at it Ill have to sell it if i cant get it running again soon.
07-09-2012, 04:50 PM
#2
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
One option for using a "305/350" flywheel on a "383/400" engine is a balance weight that bolts in between the flywheel and crank. Some of them are about .100" thick which means the starter teeth only partially engage the flywheel teeth. Unfortunately, this tends to have a shorter life for the starter and flywheel. That's my guess.
A ring gear pressed onto the flywheel too far or a defective starter are other possibilities.
There is no original application for a 153 tooth flywheel balanced for a 400 small block. But they are made by the aftermarket. Or a new one can be balanced for a 400 by a machine shop, which sometimes involves jumping through the hoop of having several people tell you the WHOLE DISASSEMBLED ENGINE needs brought in. It doesn't; just another correct 400 SBC flywheel to which the 350 flywheel can be matched.
The teeth of the starter need inspected at this point of course.
A ring gear pressed onto the flywheel too far or a defective starter are other possibilities.
There is no original application for a 153 tooth flywheel balanced for a 400 small block. But they are made by the aftermarket. Or a new one can be balanced for a 400 by a machine shop, which sometimes involves jumping through the hoop of having several people tell you the WHOLE DISASSEMBLED ENGINE needs brought in. It doesn't; just another correct 400 SBC flywheel to which the 350 flywheel can be matched.
The teeth of the starter need inspected at this point of course.
07-09-2012, 05:31 PM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Johnstown, PA
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 94 camaro z28
Engine: lt1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
One option for using a "305/350" flywheel on a "383/400" engine is a balance weight that bolts in between the flywheel and crank. Some of them are about .100" thick which means the starter teeth only partially engage the flywheel teeth. Unfortunately, this tends to have a shorter life for the starter and flywheel. That's my guess.
A ring gear pressed onto the flywheel too far or a defective starter are other possibilities.
There is no original application for a 153 tooth flywheel balanced for a 400 small block. But they are made by the aftermarket. Or a new one can be balanced for a 400 by a machine shop, which sometimes involves jumping through the hoop of having several people tell you the WHOLE DISASSEMBLED ENGINE needs brought in. It doesn't; just another correct 400 SBC flywheel to which the 350 flywheel can be matched.
The teeth of the starter need inspected at this point of course.
A ring gear pressed onto the flywheel too far or a defective starter are other possibilities.
There is no original application for a 153 tooth flywheel balanced for a 400 small block. But they are made by the aftermarket. Or a new one can be balanced for a 400 by a machine shop, which sometimes involves jumping through the hoop of having several people tell you the WHOLE DISASSEMBLED ENGINE needs brought in. It doesn't; just another correct 400 SBC flywheel to which the 350 flywheel can be matched.
The teeth of the starter need inspected at this point of course.
How cost effective is the option of a machined or aftermarket flywheel because i would honestly hate to dump money into the T5 when it just is gonna shatter on me as it already drips all over my driveway even though it shifts smooth.
I checked the starter teeth when is was down there and they seem fine, its a summit racing mini starter if anyone wants to know.
Also it's a 2 piece rms if that makes a difference.
Last edited by Savage388; 07-09-2012 at 06:02 PM.
07-09-2012, 07:05 PM
#4
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,511
Received 1,862 Likes
on
1,418 Posts
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
Looks to me like you have The Starter Bolt Hole Problem, wherein the starter bolt holes are drilled too far from the crank, making it IMPOSSIBLE for the starter to EVER line up to the flywheel.
"High nickel" block? Come with some kind of non-believable sob story from the PO about "wife wanted something with better gas mileage" or similar drivel? Freshly built just before you got it but you miraculously weren't able to hear it run just then, some minor thing was conveniently disabled and then the PO drove it over to you later and dropped it off already running? Motor "out of a Corvette"? Who drilled the holes? Got the right starter bolts on it? BOTH OF THEM?
I've never seen or heard of ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY like this situation, in case you can't tell.
"High nickel" block? Come with some kind of non-believable sob story from the PO about "wife wanted something with better gas mileage" or similar drivel? Freshly built just before you got it but you miraculously weren't able to hear it run just then, some minor thing was conveniently disabled and then the PO drove it over to you later and dropped it off already running? Motor "out of a Corvette"? Who drilled the holes? Got the right starter bolts on it? BOTH OF THEM?
I've never seen or heard of ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY like this situation, in case you can't tell.
07-09-2012, 07:20 PM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Johnstown, PA
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 94 camaro z28
Engine: lt1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
Looks to me like you have The Starter Bolt Hole Problem, wherein the starter bolt holes are drilled too far from the crank, making it IMPOSSIBLE for the starter to EVER line up to the flywheel.
"High nickel" block? Come with some kind of non-believable sob story from the PO about "wife wanted something with better gas mileage" or similar drivel? Freshly built just before you got it but you miraculously weren't able to hear it run just then, some minor thing was conveniently disabled and then the PO drove it over to you later and dropped it off already running? Motor "out of a Corvette"? Who drilled the holes? Got the right starter bolts on it? BOTH OF THEM?
I've never seen or heard of ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY like this situation, in case you can't tell.
"High nickel" block? Come with some kind of non-believable sob story from the PO about "wife wanted something with better gas mileage" or similar drivel? Freshly built just before you got it but you miraculously weren't able to hear it run just then, some minor thing was conveniently disabled and then the PO drove it over to you later and dropped it off already running? Motor "out of a Corvette"? Who drilled the holes? Got the right starter bolts on it? BOTH OF THEM?
I've never seen or heard of ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY like this situation, in case you can't tell.
07-16-2012, 01:39 PM
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Johnstown, PA
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 94 camaro z28
Engine: lt1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
Update: I pulled the starter and it turns out it is a gm performance mini starter and the teeth are perfect for some reason. I have heard the bendix on mini starter doesnt come out as far as an oem one so could I solve my problem by going back to oem? I'd really like to figure this out before I spend all my money to replace my flywheel.
07-16-2012, 02:49 PM
#7
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
Well, I swapped a T5 for a T56 behind a 400 not long ago.
I ran into the exact same problem. His starter was a lifetime warranty autozone one and it got replaced. The T5 flywheel with spacer was swapped to a Spec with the spacer which didn't work with the clutch fork, so we went with a 400-balanced Centerforce without a spacer.
My first post in this thread has "figured it out" for you. I know you're frustrated at having to pull the flywheel and figure out whether someone else used the balance plate but you have to either replace the flywheel with one for a 400 or replace the ring gear on it and have it balanced. Because if you replace the ring gear only and continue to use the balance plate, you'll have the same problem.
Case closed. Get to work and enjoy that car.
I ran into the exact same problem. His starter was a lifetime warranty autozone one and it got replaced. The T5 flywheel with spacer was swapped to a Spec with the spacer which didn't work with the clutch fork, so we went with a 400-balanced Centerforce without a spacer.
My first post in this thread has "figured it out" for you. I know you're frustrated at having to pull the flywheel and figure out whether someone else used the balance plate but you have to either replace the flywheel with one for a 400 or replace the ring gear on it and have it balanced. Because if you replace the ring gear only and continue to use the balance plate, you'll have the same problem.
Case closed. Get to work and enjoy that car.
Trending Topics
07-16-2012, 05:40 PM
#8
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Johnstown, PA
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 94 camaro z28
Engine: lt1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: flywheel teeth sheared off
Well, I swapped a T5 for a T56 behind a 400 not long ago.
I ran into the exact same problem. His starter was a lifetime warranty autozone one and it got replaced. The T5 flywheel with spacer was swapped to a Spec with the spacer which didn't work with the clutch fork, so we went with a 400-balanced Centerforce without a spacer.
My first post in this thread has "figured it out" for you. I know you're frustrated at having to pull the flywheel and figure out whether someone else used the balance plate but you have to either replace the flywheel with one for a 400 or replace the ring gear on it and have it balanced. Because if you replace the ring gear only and continue to use the balance plate, you'll have the same problem.
Case closed. Get to work and enjoy that car.
I ran into the exact same problem. His starter was a lifetime warranty autozone one and it got replaced. The T5 flywheel with spacer was swapped to a Spec with the spacer which didn't work with the clutch fork, so we went with a 400-balanced Centerforce without a spacer.
My first post in this thread has "figured it out" for you. I know you're frustrated at having to pull the flywheel and figure out whether someone else used the balance plate but you have to either replace the flywheel with one for a 400 or replace the ring gear on it and have it balanced. Because if you replace the ring gear only and continue to use the balance plate, you'll have the same problem.
Case closed. Get to work and enjoy that car.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
monte87cortez
Transmissions and Drivetrain
2
09-26-2015 08:10 PM
