Tilton Starter Question!

[sscates]

Starter turns, but I get the buzzing/grinding noise 50% of the time. Took off the starter. It's a Tilton (searching the board seems to find a lot of problems with these, although not the same problem as mine). It cranks fine, just looks like the starter gear is not engaging all the way half of the time. From the wear marks on the gear, when it is engaging it looks to be fine. Thankfully, I haven't had the same problem as everyone else yet (this thing dying completely). By the way, this board saved me a lot of time getting this starter off. That upper hex nut is easy if you know how to get to it. Same thing with that bottom brake caliper bolt on the rears. Is there a new starter ring gear I can install? New starter (ouch!)Here's the pics.

[niner11]

Hey, I have rebuilt a few of these and somebody will correct me if I'm wrong but that looks like a common japanese starter with a machined aluminum piece that allows it to be used on different applications. I'll do some searching and see if I can get you a pic. Chuck


just found my old post...it was a different problem than you are talking about but I've found that these are pretty to clean and fix.

high torque starter

[sscates]

When you tore this down, is there a bendix or something that springs it forward? And is that replacable (starter ring gear). This unit doesn't look that old. Thanks for posting the link to your old thread.

[niner11]

Here is a pic from a datsun manual I have. Kind of crappy quality but if you open your starter up it should be the same inside

[RWebb]

search on pinion and find the thread of mine from a few days ago - it illustrates the $27 pinion repair kit for the starters that Pelican sells

dunno if that will solve your problem entirely tho...

[sscates]

I did get the starter bench tested. It worked every time. I took it down to a shop that is familiar with this kind of starter. They said it was working fine. I also found a diagram of the starter that I will scan in and post for any future reference. It's a descent diagram. If the starter ring gear is good, starter is good, battery is new and new connections, I'm not sure what it could be. Maybe I'm not aware of what a good starter ring gear looks like.

[JP911]

I had the same problem with the aftermarket starter that Pelican sells. My solution? A rebuilt OEM starter.

[911pcars]

sscates,
Seems like the depth of pinion gear engagement is off. If it isn't anything mechanical in the drive mechanism, it could be the starter housing mount doesn't locate the drive mechanism close enough to the ring gear.

If you have an OEM starter, measure and compare the max. extension of the gear with the Tilton, then compare with the distance between the starter mount surface on your gearbox to the ring gear.

Full gear engagement seems to be the issue with some Tilton starters reported here. I've even heard of factory starters not being altogether correct for certain year turbos with X-type gearboxes.

Sherwood

[ianc]

If it's been doing this for awhile, unfortunately, odds are that is has also chewed up the ring gear on the flywheel, which will require an engine drop to replace.

You can try to check it by looking through the starter hole with a flashlight while someone else manually rotates the engine...

ianc

[sscates]

Problem solved. Stopped by Mirage Intl here in San Diego today. I mentioned the problem to Jae Lee. He gave me a starter to try. The one he gave me was smaller than the Tilton I took out. I put it in and it works every time. I guess the tilton pinion was off and not engaging far enough on the tiltion, as some of you had suggested. So, in conclusion, the starter ring gear is good (relief) and the pinion on the tiltion was not engaging far enough. I will take a pic of the starter(which I assume is the aftermarket one that Pelican sells as well) that works and post it for future reference. Also, if anyone needs a copy of the tiltion parts diagram I have it.

[RoninLB]

Originally Posted by sscates

Problem solved. Also, if anyone needs a copy of the tiltion parts diagram I have it.

thx.. I'll pelican e-mail or pm my address.


also.. in my Chevy days I'd sometimes have to use spacers between starter and block to shim the starter pinion closer to the flywheel. Shims were always available at speed shops and part stores.
I think that may be the issue with some Tiltons?


ps: just sent you my address

[RWebb]

by closer do you mean axially (the reach of the pinion when extended)? or do you mean radially - how far away the pinion gear is from tooth bottom (trough) of the teeth on the ring gear?

pics & measurements might help the next guy...

[RoninLB]

not the pinion reach in length but the radial distance from the flywheel teeth.

I don't have other hard info but it should be around as it's often a hot rod Chevy issue.

from a Summit catalog
"Starter Shims
These starter shims for GM correct the gap between your starter and flywheel.
PWM-607 kit with .015" shims
PWM-609 1/8" staggerd, cast aluminum shim"

[Wil Ferch]

Although I appreciate Ronin's response..maybe the question of radial vs axial issues should go to sscates
So....if the new unit works better....did you ( sscates ) take some numerical meaurements of (say) axial throw to compare the new good unit to the older Tilton unit?. It might be nice to have numbers so that the rest of us can do some bench testing or other testing before we install and have problems. Numbers !....numbers !!!...

[RWebb]

Yes, I actually meant the question for sscates, tho I appreciate your input Ron.

I'll second any pics or measurements...