hey,,
has anyone here used this starter from Jeg's? It's their "Maxi Prostart'r Starter" line (part no. 555-10040). I have it on a 168 tooth flexplate, 383 small block.

After 40-50 starts, I noticed shavings in the converter dust cover (no shims, either bolt). The starter was obviously making less than desired engagement with the teeth, and starting to wear the very tips of each. It finally got to the point where there was no engagement, just that annoying "whirring" sound of one gear missing the other...

I decided it must need some shimming of the outer bolt to rotate the thing in towards the flexplate. I could see shimming it a "little", shaving off the teeth some more, and so on and so on until the flexplate was shot. I decided to mount the starter on an old 327 I had laying in the garage, and judge the proper shim. Easier to work outside the car instead of laying under the thing...

My guess is the billet mounting block they make for this starter is/was machined completely wrong. I ended up putting .180" worth of shims on the outer bolt to place it at a point I was happy. It would have worked no problem with .140"-.150", but I decided to give it some more tooth engagement. Thinking that maybe I had a fouled up engine block, I tried it on another 305 block, same thing. So, 3 blocks with absolutely no machining done on the starter area all gave me the same results --- at "least" .140" of shim was needed on the outer bolt for proper engagement of the gears.

Am I not seeing some other obvious problem, was this thing made with a screwed up mounting block?? Anyone else used this starter or had similar problems?

http://www1.cedar-rapids.net/00000083/camaro/forums/jegsstarter.jpg (http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?lang=-1&catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=23097)

I never heard of just shimming one bolt, but usually the problem is not enough clearance and shims on both bolts fix that. .030" clearance from tip of starter tooth to bottom of flywheel teeth is what I remember is ideal.

It sounds like your starter iis machined wrong. Any chance the flat aluminum mounting plate is bolted on backwards?

I have used Tilton starters and I guess they all are made the same... They really stress that you have to shim in the pinion to get the right tooth contact. I don't think any of these or other starters are a bolt on and go... You have to check this stuff. Too many variables.

I never heard of just shimming one bolt I've had to shim many starters, and I've seen a few with one side shimmed. Due to the placement of the starters it takes more shims on one bolt, than it would if you were to shim both. After all, the starter pinion is round, shimming one bolt just rotates it. Shimming both moves it away from the flexplate. In my experience, every aftermarket starter that I've put on has had to have shims.

Just my 2 cents...