Starter

[professor229]

1995 Chevy W/T with a 4.3 liter motor.

Good morning... When I bought this, I knew the starter was probably going to have to be replaced and have been living on borrowed time now for two years. I am pretty sure there is a "flat spot" on the solenoid, have a brand new battery in it, and the symptoms are the same..... the starter motor will turn, hesitate, and then turn some more usually starting the motor. Yesterday the started motor must have stopped right on the flat spot on the solenoid so I got nothing for a second and that was enough for me to decide to do something now. I don't need to drive this truck until spring so I am in no hurry... Found the best deal on a remanufactured unit at NAPA of all places. Online I can do better but if it doesn't work out, I hate online returns; TIME....

Long story short. I worked for Chevy in the late 1960s.... I'm old... but remember replacing a lot of starters on V8s and technically, the 4.3 is a V8 minus two cylinders..... so I tried to find a YouTube video showing the replacement on a 1995 4.3 and got a lot of Blazer how to videos and S10 how to videos but didn't find one that showed a full size 1995 pickup....

Then I read the procedure and what I read scared me enough to where I need to ask if someone with a 1995 4.3 has replaced their starter and is it as straight forward as it was on older Chevy V8 motors? Basically, two wires, and two long bolts that go up into the block??? The procedure in writing described a lot more extensive work including messing with the transmission mount cross member etc.... So now I have a range of difficulty to consider until I can crawl under and look for myself..... but thought I would ask.... the range is from two bolts/two wires to removing the transmission mount etc...

So.... any help in the process from someone who has been there and done that would be greatly appreciated.... Again... it is a 1995 4.3 full size truck.

And a PS...how do you know if it needs shims? I have never done that but see it sometimes....

Thanks.... I look forward to hearing from someone on this.....

[Palf70Step]

I put a V8 starter I had in the shop on a 4.3. Don't remember what year the engine was, but I had it in a 69 C10. I also changed one on my 02 full size with 4.3 and no issues. Exhaust and cats made it a bit more cramped, but yours does not have the dual cats up close like that so it should be pretty start forward.

Starter is 2 bolts, and 2 wires. I always try and use blue locktite on the bolts. I have had one vibrate loose, but that was probably because the knurled bolts were worm out.

I have never had to shim a starter, so not sure about that. I am told if it grinds or makes noise of not fully engaging, you may need them.

[Just call me Sean]

It's the same as the older ones, 4.3 and small block. Blazer, pickup, S10, doesn't matter, all the same. I had to shim my old starter a lot, this new one I just installed I shimmed a little.

[sntrym95]

Check your flexplate too. You might be missing a few teeth. I've never had to shim a starter on these engines either.

The procedure to replace the starter is easy. Disconnect the + and - cable from the battery, two bolts to drop the starter. Take off the soleniod wire and the big wire to the battery.

[Just call me Sean]

I didn't throw away the shimming instructions yet. My starter was so far away from the flywheel I didn't believe the instructions so I checked my van. The van was correct. Shims only on the outer bolt to move the starter closer to the flywheel.

[special-K]

Oh shoot! I just replaced my starter and I forgot to install the drill bit. Seems ok, though

[1976gmc20]

If it's a stick shift then you probably won't be able to get the starter out/in past the clutch slave cylinder.

You can't get the slave cylinder out without disconnecting the hydraulic line, but I found that I could remove the two little mounting bolts and pull the cylinder out slightly and shift it to one side just enough for the starter to slip past.

At least that's what I found with my 89 5.0.