Starter issues

[Credence_1969]

I have been restoring my '69 Z/28 for some time now. This weekend I was ready to finally after 2 years fo getting the money together to finally start the motor. Well that all came to a crashin halt after I found the start gear was getting stuck on the flywheel. Its a new starter that was not on the car originally. I am not worried about the numbers matching anymore (the 302 was not in my Z when I bought it years ago, but what was stuffed in it was fine with me). The engine is a 427BBC nothing it different than the starter. I just rebuilt the motor, didn't make any extra changes to it. I did try to shimming the starter the the only 3 shims I had, but shimming it made it worse. I am afraid the starter is the wrong tooth for the flywheel or shimming it more will cause tooth breakage or more serve issues. I don't know what the stock flywheel Diameter was on this engine and I don't have many books to find this info. The internet used to be good source, but now all you get from your search is what someone is selling and i don't need to know that.

What research I have found thus far is that I either need a starter with the number 1108418 or 1108400. I don't know what I presently have and the orignial one is long gone since I bought this starter over 3 years ago prior to installing the engine into the car. I had high hopes in hearing her run this weekend, but once small problem has totally ruined this weekend.

Any info I can provide you with i will sure try too. I do know the engine came out of a '69 Caprice.

[Credence_1969]

From  my restoration Camaro book I have here it does show the Starter number for a BBC 1969 (Listed as a Chevrolet engine... they indicate that the starters vary little until 1980) to be 1108418 and the Ring Gear to be 14".

So my questions are:

1) Is the Starter I have the right one... if is or isn't where is that number located at to be sure.
2) Those of you that own a 1969 Camaro does your starter have the brackets to help hold the starter in place? (Mine does not have anything other than the 2 bolts from the bottom.
3) How many shims is to many, or is there a limit to how many?
4) Is there a set distance that is recommended to start from and shim out? I have not found any info on this.

I think I have the Starter number, now ih ave have to answer a few more and maybe I will hear her purr this week hopefully.

[JohnZ]

If the starter is an original, the number (and the date it was made) are stamped on the round armature case, about an inch forward of the joint between the case and the starter nose. If it's a rebuilt, the number is probably meaningless, as rebuilts are assembled from bins of parts from stripped starters, and the armature case could be from anything.

You need the starter brace that goes from the 1/4"-20 stud on the forward end of the armature case to the 5/16"-18 tapped hole in the block to support the forward edge of the starter; without the brace, the starter will be noisy and the drive gear can bind on the ring gear.

There should be about .030" gap between the end of a tooth on the starter drive gear and the root between teeth on the ring gear with the drive gear engaged - about the same as a large paper clip. Shims were rarely used on original installations.

[rich69rs]

Although shims were rarely used on an original application, if either the mounting flange on the starter or the engine boss have been machined, then shims are probably needed.  I had to shim mine to get the correct tooth clearance that JohnZ describes above.

This thread might be helpful. 

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=2351.msg15414#msg15414