Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hi guys,

been setting up to get a 350 chev with HEI electronic dizzy started and have followed the posts by V8 PATROL re cranking motor over without plugs in to bring up oil pressure.

it turned over heaps easy by hand but when cranked by ignition the starter gear stays out, this can be pushed back in by hand but shouldnt it retract by itself when ignition is released

Also, while i have not cranked it for long there is no sign of oil pressure comming up (how long should it take). is it best to remove the electronic dizzy and bring it up with a screwdriver, whats your thoughts


cant afford to root this motor, its cost too much

thanks in advance ppl.

regards, nathan

usually when you buy a starter for a sb chev they come with shims,

thats what you need for the starter problem as the starter is meshing too tight with the ring gear

being and electronic dizzy should it still wind up the oil pump even though its not giving out spark to the plugs ( obviously cos their not in)

Chevs should show oil pressure within 5 seconds of cranking the oil pumps is submerged in oil in the sump so priming in not an issue. If its a reco motor there are some internal oil gallery plugs that might have been left out. Using a screw driver is not realy an option as you need to spin it faster than you could do it be hand. Has it got the oil pump drive ( about 6" long shaft that connects the oil pump to the dist ) these have a plastic sleeve that connects it to the oil pump may have dropped out or builder forgot to put it in , to prime effectivly you really need an angine primer that looks like a dizzy but with no teeth on the drive gear and a drill. Have only ever came across 1 chev that would not get oil pressure up ( new crate engine ) found out it to be the main oil pump drilling from the rear main cap did not reach the main oil gallery when it was manufactured. On a reco this can't be an issue. I hope you had the dizzi in when cranking outerwise you can crank till the cows come home and you will never get oil pressure. As for the starter it needs to be shimmed down so the pinion returns when it ingaged by manually pulling out the pinion into the ringear. The shims are usually .020" (0.5mm) thick so just add one at a time untill it returns under its normal spring pressure. Have never had to use more than 2 shims to get it to return properly.



Wally

Just find an old starter and cut it up. then grind the teeth off the gear and you have your primer.
Can take quite a few seconds with a high speed drill, if you leave the oil pressure switch out the oil jet will go over a metre high, and the drill will stall when you get pressure.
J Top

Chevs should get oil presure up fairly quickly from the key cranking method......
But .......
if they dont get it happening in the first 10seconds then reach for a screwdriver and electric drill and do the dizzy removal trick.

As for the starter not disengaging ....... Simple ...... its misaligned.

is it a HiTorque starter or a stock starter ?
either way there should be shims to set it correctly.

A simple fix is loosen of the starter bolts which hold it up onto the block and witha soft hammer tap the body of the starter towards the block and then retighten...... test start......
If it still doesnt disengage then repeat.

By moving the body of the starter towards the block the mounting bolts become a "hinge" and this then means that the bendix drive is moved further away from the ring gear thus reducing the friction that is causing it to stay engaged on the ring gear.

In older chev blocks there is a vast amount of "play" when it comes to alignment........ specially when the wrong bolts are used


Kingy

V8Patrol wrote:
In older chev blocks there is a vast amount of "play" when it comes to alignment........ specially when the wrong bolts are used


Kingy

There is also a bracket that bolts to th rear of the starter to the block that stops the starter from moving and yes you have to use the correct bolts (genuine GM bolts) as they are different to standard bolts
From memory they are knurled up near the bolt head

thanks for the info guys keep up the good work.

to answer a few q's its a hi torque gear reduction starter, the motor has been full rebuilt and was last seen screaming its lungs out on the dyno without incident which was about 2.5yrs ago so i know it works.

is there the possiblility of any damage if put in the plugs with leads on, drop in some fuel and crank it over ?

doesnt any engine have no oil pressure on start up?

cheers.

is there the possiblility of any damage if put in the plugs with leads on, drop in some fuel and crank it over ?

not a possibility, it is guaranteed!!!!!

doesnt any engine have no oil pressure on start up?

not to the extent of a new motor, which needs to get oil into the pump, through all the gallerys and ito the vital ares of your motor. An existing running motor will have some oil in the gallerys and the pump is already primed

You must get oil pressure prior to starting your engine, otherwise you will have engine all over the driveway

Paul

Plus chevs are very hard on cam lobes if they have high valve spring rates.
ai lost 5 lobes from a race motor on initial start up once.
J Top