dyno

OK I'll try to keep this short, I built a 454 this spring out of parts I bought from off the board gen 4 block a mag crank and rods. merlin heads and a flywheel off a 330. I used the starter off my old 330 and cant make it work...it grinds like a biotch! put on a new ring gear last night and a truck starter same issue. are the combinations of parts that could this where did I go wrong??????help

dyno

you sure?looked like a straight cut gear to me.....thanks I'll check tonight.

JUSTONCE

My 454 had the same problem no matter what I did It waould grind and dissengage. I finally got rid of the high torque marine starter and bought a regular automotive starter in and no problems since. No one could figure it out I had the old starter rebuilt, we thought the ring was backwards, thought I had the starter for the 165 tooth flywheel instead of the 190 tooth or something like that. The bottom line was that the starter was torquing on the block and couldn't be rigid enough to turn the motor without kicking out. good luck.

dyno

ARRRRRG!!!I'm going to pull the starter off my other engine tonight and try it.....if its ok i'll match that one......

R Addiction

Remind me not to tie up next to you....automotive starter....gas fumes in bilge= BOOM!!!!!!

dyno

ttt anyone else???

ljsmith1

The 454 flywheel should have a machined step on the OD that the ring gear will bottom out on. I am assuming that when you replaced the ring gear, that you made sure it was bottomed on this step. I am also assuming that the flywheel was bolted on the right way - it should also be doweled with one dowel.

If that is ok, then your starter should work. Ditch the automotive starter - it is not explosion proof like it should be for marine use. You should get an ARCO marine starter- they make a gear reduction model (which I have on my 454 - Model 30450) (http://www.arcomarine.com/2004PDF/Page%2019.pdf)

Then you need to check the clearance between the ring gear teeth and the drive gear teeth. If the clearance is too tight, the bendix drive gear will not fully engage when it is thrown into the flywheel ring gear. Evidence of this will be that only the front of the teeth on the drive gear and the back edge of the ring gear teeth will be chewed. The clearance can be increased by using .010 or .015 shims between the starter and the block (they go on the flange that the bolts screw into). This should do the trick. Make sure the starter bolts are NEW and torqued properly. The starter will not move if done right.

If you have too much clearance (as evidence of the tops of the ring gear and drive gear teeth being chewed up) you probably have the wrong starter for your motor.

Good Luck!

-Larry

Smitty

If it is grinding, it sounds like it is too close to the flywheel. Go to the parts store and ask for a pack of starter shims. Put a few on and it should be fine.

Let us know what works !!!

HARRISONMIRAGE

I had this problem with a new starter from GM on a big glock truck I had a few years back.I shimmed it but couldn't get it right.It turned out to be the starter.Try another starter marine or not to see if it fixes the problem and if it does get a new marine unit.I agree with using spark proof starters and alternators but it blows me away how many people and OEM boat builders have cheasy wiring in there boats.A spark can come from any where.I heard a story a few years back of a guy exploding himself in a car that had a gas tank that was venting to the trunk and a poorly wired stereo amp that sparked and went up.

RedDog382

Dyno,

I might have a quick solution for you on this problem, too! I have flywheels and marine starters from my 454 Mags sitting in boxes in my storage. You have my number ... call me if I can help you on this.

Chris

I'll be on a poker run on Lake St. Clair today but I will try getting ahold of you.