How To Install & Shim a Starter

Starter gear not engaging, loud grinding or kicking out? Here's how to properly shim a starter and check clearances.

Some starters required shims to provide clearance between the flywheel and the pinion gear. Some people also use flat washers in place of shims. To know about the shimming procedure, you need to know how to remove and install starter.

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[JunkExpressJunkRemoval]

Thank you for not adding 10 minutes of BS to this video! To the point. Thanks!

[aaronshensky]

Didnt know about putting the Allen or screwdriver into hole in the bottom of the starter. Thanks for the video.

[DoRC]

It amazing how many chevys make that distinctive "someone doesnt know about starter shims" scrapey grinding noise when starting.

[jdg]

Caution: Always disconnect the battery cable from the starter when doing this.

If you pry the drive out with the battery cable connected THE STARTER WILL CRANK THE ENGINE.
You are basically manually engaging the solenoid when you pry the gear towards the flywheel.

[AlphaPanda]

I had to watch 4 fn videos to learn what you showed me in 2 min!! Thank

[alansmith]

if anyone is watching this in 2024 I just wanted to add, if you have the correct shims you only have to remove one bolt and loosen the other one--the shims are made with a hole on one end and is slotted on the other...just some fyi from an older dude...Great vid, I also had no idea about the hole in the bottom!

[WatchWesWork]

No beer cans for shims? Very disappointed...

[justiceofskitzerland]

Yo is the De Boss Garage about to save my Nana's car!! wow I'm feeling like a mechanic now thank you guys so much for this ❤.

[mobilemowers]

Never knew about that hole or how to gap / shim. I used the small vortec starters on the older Chevy engines. So much easier to put up a 5 -10 pound starter vs 20-30 pound starter ect. Plus they are cheap.

[Ben-jqoo]

Really clear explanation, demo and camera work. Subscribed!

[hollowdonte]

Thank you I'm putting an aftermarket universal starter on my 64 dynamic 88 and this was extremely helpful

[michaelrhodanz]

Couldn't help but notice that your transmission is missing. Does that help with your procedure?

[mrwebber]

Going out to check today. Thanks for the tutorial. Hope I'm checking before there is any damage.

[CJFilms]

The best video installing & Shiming a Starter

[MASTERSAIS]

Thank you so much for the info my mechanic had me buy a box of those shims and I didn't know what they were used for and how many why even had me buy them but now I know exactly what to do and I'm going to get that starter motor on first thing tomorrow thank you

[JohnsJunk]

Only time I've ever had a starter go to grinding was right before the bolts came loose and the starter fell off the truck. But I've always had fords. Not sure what I'm saying here...

[josepeixoto]

Good video, thanks; But this if for a starter that is under center, that one you're showing;
The mercruiser 3.0 i'm working on has the starter at 90º, right on centerline of the flywheel, so no shims will move it one way or the other; it needs to be right from factory.

[SteveP-vmuc]

I was a mechanic years ago and worked on many old muscle cars. I would never shim one side without the other. I have replaced tons of GM starters that people had not evenly shimmed their starters going in and that leads to breaking the nose of the starter. Also, as many starters as I had replaced, I had a ton of proper shims in my tool box. Straight and angled. The better rebuilders always put shims in the boxes..

[jongilbert]

My starter doesn’t have a hole to pull gear forward

[cooperdog]

That's easy when the fly wheel is my Jeep is not.