[HO455]

Originally Posted by Rich72C10

Okay, just want to confirm this You Tube on How to install SBC Starter Shims.

My neighbor, who is a Chevy guy, stopped me after I started my truck. He said, hmm I think you need some shims on your starter. I thought myself it sounded scratchy but figured it was a normal sound for a old truck's starter.

I just popped under my truck, removed my cover and used a 1/8 Allen Wrench. I can just move my Allen Wrench between the Armature shaft and the flex plate - just enough to hear a tap on each side.

Am I doing that right, with a 1/8 Allen Wrench? Then just shim the outside bolt where the solenoid is at?

I can get my 9/64 Allen Wrench in, it almost turns but will not. The next size up, 5/32 will not go in at all. So I guess I have a 1/64 gap or 0.015625 gab right now. The teeth do not seem mangled...

I see that O'Riley's has shims, Dorman Starter Shims Part Number: 02335.

Thanks!

Edit: forgot my photos. The Allen Wrench I am using is my larger 9/64.

There is a lot wrong with that video. The way he is measuring is the way you check the shims on a late model starter when installing on a Gen 1 SBC. Not a Gen 1 starter on a Gen 1 SBC.
Then you should never put more shims on one bolt. The starter must sit level. If the starter is crooked the bolts are forced to bend when torqued down.
And with an 168 tooth (angle/offset bolt) starter like shown in the video putting different amounts of shims under each bolt will cause the armature of the starter to no longer be perfectly parallel with the crankshaft causing the starter to wear quickly and stress the mounting bolts.

roboticjunky has posted good information.