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New Starter Q

aplatz

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Frederick, MD.
I just replaced my starter w/ a remanufactured Napa unit. It works fine, but there is a pronounced gear whine at start-up. It there any adjustment to it? There is a bolt above the rear mounting bolt (is that a adjustment bolt?) My cheap-o repair manual doesn't mention it. There were adjustment shims at Napa, but the O.E.M. one didn't have any. There are directions for a "GM Pad Mounted Starter Shimming Instructions", but that picture shows it mounting from the bottom. My original said Mitshbishi, the new one didn't say anything.

I'd hate to burn out a new one.
 
Not that I know of. As I recall, that bolt above your starter is a bellhousing bolt -holds the engine and the transmission together, and has nothing to do with your starter otherwise.

I've noted that there is a slight "whine" when I put in a new starter - which typically goes away in a week or so. I've always attributed it to the new pinion gear needing to "wear in" to the flywheel/flexplate ring gear. No matter how well-made a new gear is, there are going to be some small burrs and such on the surface - which need to wear off. See "breaking in axle gears" for a more detailed idea - since this isn't a constant load, and isn't as great a load, there's no reason to get nasty with starter pinions (although I wish makers would deburr them anyhow...)

GM start motors are the only ones I've seen that require any sort of adjustment or "shimming."

5-90
 
Thanks for your timely reply.

Should I have lubed the teeth before installation? The Haynes book I bought from Autozone or one of those chains can't even give sizes of bolt heads. Much to vague. Just enough to get into trouble!
 
No need - probably better not to anyhow (I never have.)

Even the FSM won't give bolt sizes in most cases - that's why I've been compiling a list. I'll be coding it in HTML and posting it on my own website - along with updates, as I get them. So, if you're working on anything and have the means, please measure the thread pitch and underhead length of each bolt - and then email it all to me and let me know what year/engine and where it was used.

Oddly enough, the starter seems to like two different bolt sizes - 3/8"-16 into the starter housing, M10x1.5 into the transmission. Who designs this crap? The starter is a Mitsubishi - it should also be metric...

5-90
 
I noticed that too. Oddly enough, it seems like 1/2 of all bolts are metric and half are SAE. Whatever was on the bench I guess!!! HEEP.
 
Actually, that was fairly common through the mid-1980's - they were "transition years" for the automotive industry, where they were converting from SAE to ISO.

Since the 4.0 is derived from the 2.46 (which is itself derived, partly, from the 199/232/258,) it has "inch" fasteners all through it and all over it. Then, it gets bolted to a Japanese (metric) transmission, and a New Jersey transfercase (which is probably inch - I don't recall.) The axles are American/Canadian, and also therefore inch. Go figure.

I'm sure we're still trying to fully transition - the problem with the metric changeover is that Americans are still used to thinking in inches (I am!) and the metric system may make somewhat more sense mathematically, there is a certain inertia resisting change...

5-90
 
New Process Gear is in Syracuse, N.Y. I believe, but could be wrong. I think it's stamped on my 231. I'm from the Utica area originally, so it stuck with me.
 
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