1989 S - Blazer Starter Alignment

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I have a 1989 Chevy S Blazer 4x4 with the 4.3 and auto tranny.

My starter went out about a week ago, so naturally I pulled it off and put an new one on it. Griiiiiiiiiiiiiiind. Ok, let's shim it!

Shims didn't fit the gear reduction starter.

I went back to Autozone and looked for shims. The solenoid was in the way. Sooooo... I got to looking at the book, the old way (I used to work at Autozone and am still granted access). Seems that the gear reduction starter was only supposed to be used on the 2wd models for whatever reason. Ok, get a huge refund and a regular, direct drive starter.

Direct drive starter worked for a day, then griiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind up at the convenience store. After not being able to get ahold of my dear fiance who was dead asleep, I pushed the truck home and hurt my back in the process.

I pulled the starter and the flywheel had been eating the nose cone, and no amount of shimming seemed to help.

Sooooo... I went and got a starter for a 2.8. The drive is the same but fires out a bit further (I had chipped a few teeth with initial new starter). Also pulled the flywheel cover (thus the knowledge of the chipped teeth).

Wellllll... 2.8 starter worked fine for a few seconds but the flywheel was dragging on the front starter bushing. Tomorrow I have plans to really shim the thing.

However.... and this is really what gets me.... either the flywheel has pulled away from the engine (with the tranny, rear main, and all the goodies on the front of the crank holding it in place), or it has warped, or Autozone's nosecones are short. Before anyone asks, I did turn it over by hand and the flywheel is still true. So no warped flywheel (hate pulling trannies back).

In other words... the starter gear is not firing out far enough (or the nosecone is not long enough) and no starter specified for that vehicle or any other S-10 +/- 5 years seems to fit it.

I have a feeling the current one will work but I'll have to shim it out so far it feels like jury riggin' to me.

Does anyone have any experience on this particular problem? If so, comments?

Thank you,

Josh <><

Edited: I've been through the search engine and checked all posts with keywords "starter" and "flywheel." I didn't find much. J.S.

[Fractured1]

you could always check the flex plate by placing a dial indicator against it and rotate the engine by hand and have someone watch to see if there is warpage, more likely cracked if its not running true...I have replaced the flexplate without completely dropping the tranny, just have to disconnect it and pull it back about 4 inches, saved alot of moaning...as for the starter, if you have connections at a parts store and they have a tester have them check 2 starters the truck calls for to see if both kick the starter gear out the same distance, that is just a thought...good luck

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello and thank you.

Here's solved the problem: I took a 2.8L starter and shimmed it down until I had correct gear contact. The bendix was the same as the 4.3.

The flywheel then spun the front starter bushing. I shimmed the side closest to the oil pan a bit more and I still have good engagement and no problems.

They shortened the nosecone on the 4.3 starters. I'm not sure why. I understand that the ones with the iron nose cones are still OK.

I feel like a hilljack (I'm a professional auto tech by trade, independent) but I'm limited to where I can get parts. Autozone pretty much rules the town for auto parts.

Thank you for your input.

Josh <><

[rlith]

That very odd because the 4.3 starters usually don't get shimmed.