Bert starter/flywheel grind issue

[Matt49]

Space the starter away from the bell housing?

If you've got too much gap between the flywheel and the idler (which at .120, you definitely do), you need to shim the flywheel, not the starter.

[merc123]

is your starter a race starter?
just wandering if someone forgot to remove one of the springs insde the starter bendix.
the gear should flip easily in and out, with no resistance.

Yep. The gear is actually stuck out. I can push it in and it'll pop back out on its own. Takes very little effort to move it in and out.

If you've got too much gap between the flywheel and the idler (which at .120, you definitely do), you need to shim the flywheel, not the starter.

That's why I was asking him why he wanted me to shim the starter and not the flywheel. Thinking he thought it was a block mount starter.

[JustAddDirt]

va-rooom

It should have a little spring to it in the last 1/2" being shoved in, but basically flop in and out both directions other than the last 1/2 of being shoved in all the way.
I would say a couple shims on the flywheel should do it .

[merc123]

We have a winner! It needed shimming.

I was only able to find one .040 Bert shim locally and it worked but not completely. Found some .066 washers that measured out all the same and put them behind the flywheel and it will spin for days without pulling away.

Next question now, would ungraded washers be safe behind the flywheel or go ahead and break down and buy another shim.

[jrkracing54]

We have a winner! It needed shimming.

I was only able to find one .040 Bert shim locally and it worked but not completely. Found some .066 washers that measured out all the same and put them behind the flywheel and it will spin for days without pulling away.

Next question now, would ungraded washers be safe behind the flywheel or go ahead and break down and buy another shim.

The shims are very cheap.

[merc123]

The issue came back. I had 2, .040 shims behind it. When I put 3, .040 shims in it fixes the problem but then the flywheel will occasionally hit the idler gear and spark or it won't let it fully disengage and spinds the idler with the motor until you shut motor off. It only does it maybe 1 in 10 starts. The only thing that has changed is I had to get the bellhousing rewelded where it cracked through the weld. The had to cut a lot off and he tig welded it back together. I tried PB blaster and then grease on the idler to see if that may be the issue and it didn't fix it.

It seems like I might need a .020 or .030 shim instead of a .040. Do they make them?

[speedbuggy]

Sounds to me like you have a starter that is going bad. Speedway has a .030 shim if you want to go that route -

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Bert-Transmission-324-Flywheel-Shim-Chevy,57687.html

I had similar problems at the start of the season. Had to replace the starter. I dealt with DBR (http://www.dbrstarters.com/). Their service was excellent and prices very reasonable.

[merc123]

I may try a different starter and see where it gets me.

[speedbuggy]

You might as well replace the idler gear spring while you're at it. If it is weak, it might keep the idler from disengaging the flywheel (this is a reach, but might as well do it for $3-$4 bucks).

[Lizardracing]

Check all electrical connections. I don't mean just wiggle them either. I mean take them apart and sand them clean and shiny to reduce the resistance. The starter could very well need more electricity to maintain the engagement. If the battery were weak, it might be able to deliver the electricity needed for a short period of time but lose it too quickly. The problem is much worse on small batteries that are barely big enough anyway. Add some bad connections or corroded wires and you got a problem.

[Anna Jackson]

The shims are very cheap.

You are right .. looking fine..