starter problems

hi, i have a 1981 chevrolet scottsdale 4x4 pickup, automatic transmision, V8, i'm having problems with the starter i have changed it 3 times and it keeps breaking down, can it be an electrical problem or a distance problem??
And what is the clasification c/k?, 10/20/30?, 1/2-3/4 tons?, chevy/chevrolet/GMC??

acgr76 the starter problem you are having could be a heat problem as gm starters do not like the engine heat at all. This is called heat fading it is quite common problem in chevy race cars where the heat is extreme. You may also have an engaging problem with the starter if the starter drive engages to deep into the flywheel it will stick on and prematuraly where out your starter you will need to check the starter-flywheel clearance on that one. Need to know more info to help with your problem. As for the c/k. C stands for Chevrolet, K stands for GMC, 10 is a 1/2 ton, 20 is a 3/4 ton, 30 is a 1 ton in the chev line. In the GMC line they are as follows 15 is a 1/2 ton, 25 is a 3/4 ton, and 35 is a 1 ton. Then there is the s-series as in s-10 and the s-15. good luk

3 time in how long? sence 81 isn't to bad :eek7: do you have the torque
convertor shield on, it helps keep dirt and other things out of everthing under there, are you breaking nose cone's, grinding the teeth off of the
starter? what do the teeth on the flywheel look like,

thanks!, and i have changed the starter 3 times in 6 months and the flywheel 2 times, i think the starter and the flywheel are too far apart because half of each teeth in the flywheel is damaged, how can i get them closer?

shim's didn't some come with starters, parts guy didn't ask :screwy:
i need to check but the clearence should be 1/16" sounds like your is
1/8" or more

thanks i'll try using the shims

c/k---i thought c was 2wd and k was 4wd? I have a chevy K1500, it's 4x4........

With half the teeth ground off of the flywheel, you are probably looking at replacing it (again...)

Also shims arent gonna get you closer...they make the distance bigger. Are you sure you have been getting the correct starter? (and flexplate for that matter..)?? If it is wearing off half of the tooth width it makes me wonder..

As far as i know C/k... C= 2wd K=4wd

you need cast iron starter bell housing it well fix your problem for sure

make sure its the right starter first. they make 2 diff ones for that truck (73-87) itall depends on wether or not it was made in a USA plant or MEXICO plant. USA models use whats callaed a standered starter, MEXICO models use a metric starter. FYI when replacing the starter a tail, tail sign that u have the wrong starter would be......

metric starters have a knurled bolt shank and are larger in diameter.
standerd starters have smaller bolt diameters.

.... so u can put a metric starter on a USA truck......problem is itwont line up.
......u cant put a standered starter on a MEXICO truck.....bolts wont go throuh the holes.


also shims WILL move the starter closer/further from the flywheel, flexplate. cut the shim in half.....inside hole will move the starter away from..... placing them in the out side hole will move it closer.

72 rs ,, are you talking about the staggered & straight bolt patern?????

ive never had a prob. with the straight bolt pattern. im refering to just the staggered bolt pattern. i know they used these 2 diff. starters on more than just these trucks. it took me forever to find this out own, through trial and erorr of course. if you put whats called the metric starter (has larger bolt holes) on the motors assembled in the USA they dont fit right. being that the holes are larger (due to the larger diameter ofthe metric bolts) the standered bolts have play causing the starter to miss align.

i'll try using a shim on the outer hole tomorrow and see what happens, i got 1/8, 1/16,1/32 and 1/64 shims...

hope it works out!!! :thumbsup:

i have also had "milled " heads on a few, they were milled on the surface that bolts against the block??? don't know if it was factory or
not but i have seen they where 1/16-1/8" thinner, may have been a
bad run at factory and they did to save a few "thosand" of them

Just had to put a new starter on my k-20 .83mod. I was breaking nose cones about every 4or5 months. Newest one I got had a totally different nose cone and was a geared starter with a much smaller body.
It fit and workes fine.

i installed a single 1/8 shim on the outer hole of the starter and it works perfect, for now...

one of the main resons for broken nose cone's is coming loose, and kick
back from engine(not that often) check those bolts!!!!! the smaller
gear reduction starters don't hang on the bolts as bad,, the pain in the
butt bracket on the end of the starter can help :smokin:

thanks !!

Dead again!!i just heard an explosion when i was starting it.... one more question and attempt, dont know what to buy, the dashboard says SCOTTSDALE that is chevrolet, but the VIN appears as a K1500 that is a GMC assembled in canada is there a diference in GMC-CHEVROLET, USA-CANADA, starters? i buy in autozone so they are very specific... :icon16:

are you breaking the nosecone????? :banghead:

not this time but have broken 2

you need to start from scratch!!!!!!!!!! use a tap to clean threads, are
they worn out, your bolts have been in and out more than 3 cars...
also find and buy the starter brace, it helps take the strain off after you
get it shimmed correctly i would use some loctite on the NEW bolts :smokin:

what replacements should i use gmc/chevrolet usa/canada?

As for the c/k. C stands for Chevrolet, K stands for GMC


C is code for 2 wheel drive

K is code for 4 wheel drive

-slacker

I think you will find that C is the two wheel drive and K is the four wheel drive and not Chevrolet or GMC identification.