How To Shim A Starter - EricTheCarGuy

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This is one of those things you might not have to do often but when you do it's a good idea to know how to do it, I'm hoping this video will help you with this task should you have to perform it.
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.

[@ballershanelle]

As a kid growing up on a farm with old parents plus only American made trucks, shimming was the first thing my dad bitched about. Add, old skool mechanic to that and it explains why, some youngins may not know. Shim pieces come with some starters. Besides that, starters can be purchased bad off the shelf.

[@freakinsingle]

That's just great to keep in mind considering I am about to order a brand new, maybe Reman- I'm really not sure what it will be , ordering from Rock Auto in just a little while after I have given up on looking for coupon codes like my mother wanted me to in the attempt to save a little money, think I'll find one that is valid?. ?? Also I want to make sure there isn't such thing as a different style starter for my Ram. I want to feel confident that whichever parts that I buy I get it right the first time, I can have everything prepped for it to be installed the moment after it arrives. I hope it is shipped and delivered just as expedient as my very first experience ordering from RockAuto .com.. To the author, director, actor and producer of this video ...Thanks for doing the Video

[@deanthonytoles8130]

Eric, you are AWESOME bro!! I cannot tell you how many times I've searched your videos to find an issue i was dealing with. This one here is perfect!! I have a 2011 GMC Acadia Denali engine out the vehicle and the engine itself is the same but different sensors, manifold and apparently it needs shimmed for the starter to not bind with the flywheel. The starter gear doesn't retract back after cranking and gets stuck in teeth of the flex plate. I even bought a new starter thinking that was the issue...then I seen this. Thank you, Sir! Much Love and Respect

[@crruisercharliehaas8832]

Would liked to have seen exactly where and how you add the shims

[@2Smoke311]

yes, would have made the video description much more accurate

[@ChipperTheChipster]

Same

[@48laws45]

No bullshit! The other info was helpful however the title is misleading and probably on purpose to click bait more of an audience view which is a form of deception not to mention since we didn't SEE him do it himself he probably had somebody else do it 😂

[@juakaliautomotive]

Bet you would've liked someone to just DO it for u too huh...

[@reaper110588]

If you don’t know that you should probably get a trained Tech to maybe do the job for you

[@Anthony0899]

I really appreciate the help man , towards the end definitely started to make sense when you mentioned if you have to get it closer or farther away using shims , the whole videos ll definitely helped

[@shawnp8429]

this shit is stressful

[@ORGANISM44]

How the hell do you install the shims????????????? Thats why i watched the video! Where the hell do they go? The video is clearly titled "how to shim a starter" but you did not shim the starter nor show us how! What the hell?

[@jacobfain9]

lol if you dont know where the shims go you shouldn't be working on any kind of engine.

[@jameskrankel3464]

Organicle Man

[@Soknik01]

jacobfain9 spoken like a true idiot. If you haven't yet recognized the importance of perspective taking, you shouldn't be giving any advice. Seriously....

[@ssimon64]

Lol

[@Knowledge-IS-Power365]

There's really only 1 place the shims can go... it's just - it is what it is. So the real question is "How to measure to know if you need shims". Maybe the title was somewhat misleading to a "non-mechanic", but personally, I found the video to answer my own question quite well. Good show.

[@earlhobbs1364]

I would like to know how thick is the allen wrench so i will know the distance between the starter and flywheel ty and keep up the good work

[@epopddot]

Thanks for the info Eric, I opened the box, saw the shims and decided to watch a pro. I enjoyed your video.

[@jeretooley512]

Great video. Except for the part where he never actually shows how to add the shims 🥴

[@yerboogieman]

I really don't want to do this.... Why the hell don't they just make starters that fit?

[@ufartface]

when they take your core they sandblast it which removes material that needs to be replaced for fit

[@carmac1652]

Yes bull shit .I'm getting grinding noise bad ? I put the starter in 1 year ago

[@smackface6]

no no no they is wrong i blame china

[@12resurrected]

This video doesn't show how to install a shim.

[@jimdavidson5208]

+Jay Monroy bell housing - SHIM - starter

[@MrNotorius5500]

+Jerome Hall The shims are placed between the surfaces of the starter and engine where the bolts thread into.

[@josephastier7421]

The bolts go through them.

[@dkemp1337]

I could tell by the way it actually started it was fine lol

[@thisdudeisback]

Ok soo the shims go between the starter and tthe mounting points on the block. The shim is to but distance between the teeth on starter gear and the flywheel/faceplate like a spacer. To put them on. Is easy... if you adding to stsrt thats already on, remove the bolt on passanger side and loosen the other till you can slide the shim in. Line up holes and tighten back down

[@timsharpe3498]

The most fool proof way to avoid GM starter issues is to rebuild the original starter or reuse the original snout on your reman unit. Alignment issues are always caused by will fit reman stuff.

[@sampornea]

The video should have shown how the shims affect the alignment.

[@megpie9971]

Eric, Can you help me? My husband was fixing the starter on the 2004 Honda Accord XL 2.4 6 cylinders, Somehow with a tool, he pulled on the throttle line the one for the RPM and the car is racing a little it's up to over 2.3 instead I believe it suppose to be on 1 not sure but can you tell me how I fix this? Getting to the RPM its suppose to be and not like the car wants to go on its own. Thank You and looking back from you appreciate all you do.

[@wilnerlivesformaiden]

ive used paint for measuring the contact between deferential teeth... but for a starter is just genius!

[@mumbles552]

Maybe I missed it but what thickness or size is the Allen key? A drill bit should work to.

[@whitebread8381]

eric my sister wants to know if your available shes looking for somebody

[@gawdat3859]

Did I blink? I missed it when you did the shim.

[@josephastier7421]

@@shawndonald78 The bolts go through them, THAT is not complicated. The part that takes investigation is finding out how much thickness you need.

[@natefidalgo7625]

how often cann't you get an allen wrench or 1/8in of something between to check. Is it common to have to uses gear paint /paint with this method alot...also can you uses body shims if your starter motor you get doesnt common with its own shim. I see the issue of just bolting it on and not checking alignment as you could be screwing up your new starter as well as the flywheel plate.

[@jpearson311]

If the starter isn't shimmed correctly, will it make your starter bolts come loose? I have an 87 Chevy V10 and the starter bolts keep coming loose.

[@juniperwildflowers]

This isn’t how to shim, it’s how to see if you need to shim.

[@MrPyroburns]

Hey Eric I have a 83 Chevy high Sierra with a 75 small block 350 and I’m having a huge problem... what the hell do I do if the starter works great when the engine is cold but when it is warm or hot it grinds EXTREMELY bad and shreds the gears??? I’ve been trying to figure out this issue for a while now but have not succeeded

[@mickblock]

Seems like anything other than nice viscose, inert gear paint would splash and run too much to give you any idea of what needs to be done with shimming. That poster paint seemed to say everything was meshing solidly when it sounded like shallow contact.

[@gilbertramos6446]

Hey I have like a little sound like when a playing card is on the spokes of a bike tik tik noise I put my rear seal in and everything back together and sometimes the noise come and go. Would u have any idea what it might be thank u!

[@mrmanitoba]

I finally shimmed mine right with 4 half shims on the outer bolt. Just seemed goofy that it would be so offset, but after 4 starters, it worked.

[@garrettdschaak5949]

Bad flywheel??

[@mrmanitoba]

@@garrettdschaak5949 No, I changed the flex plate and it was the same issue. Seems to be a common problem on some older Chevy blocks

[@zipper978]

Do you ever do any performance installs in your shop. Such as power adders or performance exhaust installs

[@ThePbatemon]

im not eric but im a auto tech student..so maybe i can help a little..you probably need shims in it like hes talking about in the video..the reason it dose it on some days and others not depends on the weather because believe it or not..metal dose expand a little

[@BriggsStratton11]

I just installed a new starter. Right after startup I get a quick metallic grind sound for less than a second. Is this a shim issue, or a bendix issue?

[@cornraker]

I've installed a half dozen or so starters on Fords and never had to shim them. I've never even heard of this. Is this a brand specific thing?

[@WoodrowPhathom]

Thanks mate, Installed a new after market hi-torque starter on my old Dodge pick up, and have been driven near mad with it grinding every other start. Your advice on how to 'paint test teeth contact', Gold !

[@xmaxjetplane1]

Hey, i just bought a 87 Toyota Supra and when i go to stop it wants to die. only when braking it does, this it starts every time afterwards and idles fine. If you could give me some troubleshooting tips i would really like that. Thanks , Jeff

[@MystikalDawn]

question, when installing on a brand new block do you use any shims or would it be safe to try with none first?

[@elijah2078]

GM is the only manufacturer that has the issues needing this kind of attention. Poor machining tolerances.

[@chrisvill54]

is this only a gm thing or does it apply to all starters? I have this same engine and Tranny on my k1500. for some reason after years of no issues, my truck started sounding terrible when I would try to started. and it would not start. took my starter out had it tested at 2 different places, it failed, so I'm assuming that the starter was sticking out and not coming back when I let go of the ignition. so I bought a new starter and tried this method to measure clearance, with the shim that came with the starter the Clarence was right on, but the truck sounded bad when I would start it, so I added another shim and it sounded much better but the clearance was loose with the 1/8 Allen wrench so I guess maybe my flexplate might be rough on the teeth and that's why the 1/8 clearance might not be enough. I took off that cover for the torque converter bolts for now incase I keep having issues but so far it's been starting good makes a little noise but nothing compared to before, my flexplate teeth are a little banged up but not broken so I'm thinking that's why it still sounds a little rough when starting. some day I will bring the Tranny down and replace the flexplate and do the rear main seal and torque converter seal.

[@PhattyMo]

It may,but in this instance it's nowhere near any sensors,so it's not going to hurt anything.

[@robertpc100]

eriv i posted to you on FB.Im posting here also.I have an 88 chevy with a 350 4x4 and we have ,including myself at least 7 or 8 starters on this truck only to hacve starter fail within a few months.It appears that starter gear is too far from flex plate.I marked and removed about 1/8 in. plus metal from starter boss to make gear and shaft closer still it was further away than it should be.Professional mechanics have had same problems.A few months and its back to beginning.Do you know of any other type starter to use or did they change the starter make and build?If i were the only one workin on it i might see a problem but these guys have all said there is a problem with starters or flex plates.This was a 1 owmer and taken very good care of.Please tell me something.Please im begging.Sincerely,Rob

[@tuffguy407]

this guy is one articulate friggin mechanic!!!! awesome!!!

[@guitarminds8529]

my starter makes an awfully loud noise just like this when i start it up... i just threw in the new one today. but it has to shims. im using the old ones, does this mean i need to use more shims to fix it?

[@clintharrell2258]

Eric, first of all, THANK YOU! I have a 98' Silverado with a 5.7L engine. I had no idea how to shim the starter. Thanks to your video, I was able to fix my problem. GOD bless you sir!

[@Cgarrison]

Was your new starter grinding? This the the problem I am dealing with

[@akshairtube]

Eric-you have great articles that are very helpful and informative. in this article I would have liked to see a situation where you shimmed a starter rather than show one that did not need it. Thanks and keep up the great work a k shair

[@ORGANISM44]

Exactly my thought as well

[@SanchoSanto]

"How to make flour tortillas" I just bought this burrito which just happens to come with a flour tortilla so no need to make a flour tortilla. The end. Hahahahaha!

[@xmaxjetplane1]

@AllRightieThen Its only when the engine has warmed up and it does it when just letting off the gaswhile im driving.

[@Shino2600]

Jeff Banfield I just had a new starter replaced and I now hear the same thing when I let my foot off. Sounds like a baseball card in a bicycle wheel...what was the issue or fix you had?

[@philn7874]

What size Allen wrench did he use for the gauge between the flywheel and the starter Bendix?

[@kevinzki21]

1/8 inch drill bit/gauge. Basically anything that is 1/8 inch thick exactly and it should be wedged between the flywheel teeth and armature shaft like he showed. if it fits exactly between them, then the clearance is 1/8 inch diameter and generally thats the clearance we shoot for (verify with shop manual if doubtful)

[@CronyxRavage]

Why is it bad for it to be making contact all the way in the floor of the gear valley?

[@brentadrian9030]

Thanks man. That was just what I needed to know. I’m even borrowing my daughters paint.

[@Placer]

who the hell follows Eric to simply dislike his videos? The rest of us are here to learn and sharpen up our skills. You spend time to find his videos to dislike them? Damn you scotty kilmer. ha. Keep up the work Eric.

[@Deepwaterjew]

may i suggest you use white out ive used it few times and it works perfect the teeth scratch it off leaving a very visible mark

[@killman1971]

@bashbits Most European starters bolt end wise onto the back of the engine and require no shimming. Tolerances always allow for proper gear tooth engagement anywhere along the length of the gear. VWs were like this from the beginning. Many US engines have starters that bolt length wise onto the bottom of the engine. Tolerances are usually good but any changes will result in improper teeth gear engagement. Notice how this starter is bolted to the engine compared to European engines.

[@MudRFunR]

Great video. Just like to add that you must use special starter bolts. Ordinary bolts will allow the starter to shift enough to make the starter grind and eventually wear out the flywheel teeth.

[@billwilliams4394]

Thanks I bought a truck and the guy had used the wrong bolts on the starter , Your comment fixed it

[@MudRFunR]

@@billwilliams4394 Happy to help!

[@edparungao5733]

Where do you get the right bolts.

[@flyinbryan0782]

What if your new starter spins but doesn't make any contact with your flywheel?

[@bonzo3485]

3 year too late but your solenoid is stuck and not shoving the drive gear to the flywheel

[@Germanmuscle]

That's exactly the noise that my 1996 Chevy Silverado with the 5-7 V8 is making... the battery died and I started it up it acted like it wanted to start and it just started making that noise

[@Filmaker25]

Do you have to do this everytime you replace a sarter?

[@jayyoutube8790]

I had a 1988 olds with a 2.5, and my wife had a 1989 Buick with a 2.5.. Both cars were damn near identical, but did have miner differences. But the Buick starter had a few shims, my olds had none.. The Buick also had a internal oil filter..

[@jessihawkins9116]

*minor

[@chief8879]

Where is the drain plug by the starter?

[@Chris_905]

ive never heard of shimming a starter over here in the UK , they are just bolted in with no available adjustment to their position , oh well thats me learnt something , ive heard painting the teeth to set up diffs and the paint is called engineers blue . top vid eric :-)

[@maynorlopez1541]

WHERE THE HELL IS THE SHIMMING PART DUDE

[@franciscomojica5427]

What if I have no shim on my starter and there's just a little to much play... sometimes it struggles and doesn't want to start sounds weak

[@TheZenerDiode]

@halosux4life Dykem would be ideal... Nice vid Eric, always wondered if did it right till now.

[@AllRightieThen]

@xmaxjetplane1 It still sounds like a vacuum leak, and since the idle is supposed to drop when the engine is warm it is more prone to stalling in case of a vacuum leak. I am sure there are good guides on youtube for checking starter leaks using propane or some other gas, propane usually being one of the safer options. It can be a pain in the neck though, if the leak is small.

[@69mag]

I take it that the Allen key at 1:28 is an 1/8"

[@jacksonfev]

Don't know if this issue was ever resolved but in case someone else has the same problem, some of the teeth on the flexplate might be damaged. So sometimes it will grind and sometimes it will start normally. Easy to check if you just pull the starter and spin the engine to check all the teeth.

[@josephastier7421]

Using gear marking compound to check the contact pattern should be standard procedure for installing a starter. That is a fantastic idea, I will do that from now on.

[@onetransmission7871]

You've got to be kidding me! No you don't paint teeth or check clearance by sound. Touch battery cable on solenoid terminal. Drive will engage flywheel but won't rotate. Check and adjust clearance.

[@moykenaldo8408]

If it was the same starter from before just a new one why is grinding . The old starter didn’t require shims so why would the same but newer starter need shims ( 99 Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3 2wheel) . It the same thing I barely turned the key and I hear the same noise

[@Kaibil66]

Excellent job ....you are the best ....so professional I always learn from you thanks.

[@MeInTheCornfield]

Oh yeah...you do GREAT work with these videos, Eric!!! THANK YOU!!!

[@ozelot250]

Why do starter bolts break? I installed a new starter on my boat, mercruiser 3.0 4 cylinder. Started up fine. A few days later I found a broken starter bolt on the floor. Why would it break like that?

[@lawrence_tenn]

Sweet. I tried to pry the Gear on the starter, but couldn't pry it back. I'll try the 1/8" drill bit method. I might be able to reach the Armature shaft. If that doesn't work, then try the paint method. If I start a couple times to test the Gear pattern, will that ruin the starter or flywheel?

[@reppin713]

I recently installed a new starter. The problem is the starter is free spinning. I've changed the battery terminals and installed a new battery. When I hooked up the new terminals to the battery. The starter is not engaging. What could be the problem.

[@GreekSealover]

I have an OEM starter brand new, and a brand new 153 teeth flywheel, but the starter is barely coming into contact with the flywheel. How to make it approach by like half cm?

[@zichragland8880]

So if you did not show how to actually put a shim in, the title of "How to shim a starter" was incorrect and the video is not representative of what you led us to believe. Maybe a better title would have been....... " How to tell if you need to shim a starter. "

[@supremeon1]

5,7 liter engine? you have no mercy... my car has a 1,4 liter engine...

[@MrEbusinessexpress]

only a car that is not engineered properly will need a shim,,,,,, i love my 95 civic '

[@Bankable2790]

Fix Anything Channel lmao stfu

[@robertcarlos78]

well I fix my starter problem after going through 3 starters. Video was a big help I use the Allen wrench for clearance and shim it correctly, thanks alot.

[@carmac1652]

I'm getting a bad grinding noise .I put the starter in 1 year ago ?

[@GEO3535]

great video man

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Great video as always, but did I miss the "before" gear contact pattern or was it not shown or do we have a situation where it was noisy on the right mesh?

[@mrwebber35]

Thanks, I've got a new tube of prussian blue I've been dying to try out. Just want to check my alignment on my 1976 Tradesman Van.

[@6poundsoft]

Nothing wrong with engineering like Ford products so you dont need to shim. Lol . Chebbie Junk !

[@SOLDOZER]

Well that did not help. Off to find real instal video......

[@swolf101]

i see a ton of videos showing how to add shims. my problem is bend need to make more contact , not going in far enough.shims will only put me further out. HELP

[@consaka1]

Instead of paint I bet that colored paste that you use to set differential pinion/ ring gears would work even better.

[@consaka1]

Whoops I commented before watching the whole video and see you mentioned that. cheers..

[@consaka1]

WHAT? :)

[@westtexas806]

That's white paint! racist. Jk lol I'm surprised it hasn't been said

[@dp.4680]

Eric I just put in a rebuilt 350 SBC and starter has way too big gap between flywheel and Bendix shaft .. how can I fix?

[@edwardgonfindini7295]

A better marking product would be lacquer based correction fluid.

[@karzygijose]

I doubt anyone is still on this video let alone Eric I got a 2004 Saturn VUE 3.5 Honda engine Only in the cold weather or when the car is cold the starter makes a grinding screeching noise for a second or so Also when I shut the car off the muffler “farts” once it’s shut off

[@wack_]

So how do you add shims?

[@studeystudebaker]

every have one to far from the shaft i have one about 1/4 inch from teeth to the shaft--i dont see anywhy of getting it closer-????its a replacement from china

[@norisboren5402]

My experence says parts house sold you a one that will not fit. Compare original with new starter size and HAVE THEM test both. Hope helps.

[@banno6938]

What ? Shim 1 side ? You do realize the starter you're using does not have bolt holes straight across from each other ? & Shimming 1 side will cause the starter to sit crooked which will cause premature wear because the starter drive teeth will not ride or mesh properly with the ring teeth . BTW just from the sound you need to put a thin shim on that starter .

[@losteroni]

My friends 99 Tahoe 5.7 keeps breaking starter bolts . I drilled out the broken bolt and re-tapped the hole and put the starter back on without shims and it made a terrible grinding sound so I tried shimming it but it didn't help . Then it broke the brand new bolt again !

[@Jay-fb2lv]

90% of the time the shim is not needed. Just because its in the box doesn’t mean it has to go in.

[@929rrdan]

Hey Eric I know u can convert foot lbs to inch lbs on a tork wrench and I have done it is it a good idea to do this please help I want to adjust the bands on my durango but it says to use an inch lbs tork wrench but all I got is a foot lbs tork wrench????????????????????????????????????????¿????????????

[@halosux4life]

why dont you use prussian blue?

[@AndysDogHouse]

Hey Eric. Thanks for the way to fix my grinding starter. Keep it up. 🍁👍👍

[@rebelreaper112]

I guess I got lucky I got a reman starter from autozone and put it on my 1997 k1500 starts up fast and quite didnt need a single shim

[@adamgoof]

I have a question I replace the fly wheel and the starter but still making that grinding noise how can I fix this problem 74 Chevy long bed

[@Vladiuslaus]

Hello Eric, I have a 55 chevy bel air and the bendix don't disengage even when all the wiring is ok, the solenoid is ok, I tested the starter out of the car and works fine, and the switch tested with a multimeter, I used a screw driver with the key switch off the car to turn on the starter and it won't stop so i disconnect the battery, could it be the gap on the pinions???

[@kingkong8974]

I'd replace your ignition switch. Sounds like it's stuck at crank when you turn over

[@davidiscae]

Hello Eric, I wanna say that I like your videos and I really enjoy them. Keep up your work!

[@isaacsanchez5159]

My 87 Regal with a 350 started fine, then it started grinding, so i replaced it it worked fine now its starting to grind and it wont start. Any advice??