My 460 starter tends to grind every so often. Usually, I can bump it a few times and it will engage again and start just fine. I searched and it looks like the MT/AT starters may be different but I haven't been able to find any hard evidence that this applies to the 460s?

AutoZone/O'reilly/NAPA and RockAuto don't differentiate if there are AT or MT models.

Does anyone know for sure how I can identify if I might have the wrong one?

I'm going to pull it tonight and inspect the teeth and ring-gear to see if that might be the issue.

 

Ring gear is fine but it's clear from inspecting it that my starter is not engaging far enough. It's only grabbing about the first 1/4 of the tooth.

My google-fu is strong and the only thing I've been able to figure out is that I'm not the first person to have this issue with a 460 + C6. I've found countless threads about people that have gone through starters, ring gears, solenoids and tried all manner of starter drive gears to try and solve this problem. I haven't found anyone with a solution (in fact, one guy with a Bronco claimed to have spent $3000 chasing the problem and then finally scrapped the truck over it.)

Here's the one thing that I've been able to figure out on my own and I thought I would see if anyone can contribute to it.

This is the "standard" starter and it does not specify AT/MT. This one has the remote solenoid that would be mounted on the fender. This is what's available at all of the big auto parts stores.


You can see in this image at the drive gear is close to the center of the mounting bolts.


Now -- some companies also sell a mini-torque starter with the solenoid mounted on the starter. I consider these GM-style starters (but I'm not sure if that's correct.) The interesting thing -- see how offset the drive gear is? The companies that sell this starter are very specific that they only work 90+ 460s and 60-80s AT 460s. Interesting right? Is that offset my problem?



There also appears to be 2 different length noses -- I found this photo but I can't find any information on part numbers and I haven't had a chance to compare mine, yet.

 

Mine did the same thing. Before I decided to pull the 460 I did some research and heard about using a later model 460 starter and opening the top bolt hole up a hair so it can be clocked in a little more. Not sure if that would've worked or not.

 

Installed the new high-torque mini starter and it seems to be better but not fixed. Started the truck ~25 times and it only ground once. Better is good but I'd still like to resolve it for good.

The starter I took out was identical to the one on the right in the photo above (so it's the "long throw" version.)

I feel like I still need something that throws another 3/16" of an inch or so.

I'm going to contact DB Electrical and see if this is anything they've heard of before.

 

one of them is longer than the other. I think it is the Manual one. I will check in the garage tomorrow, I have both.

 

Unfortunately, every source I've contacted says that the one that I've got has the longest nose and drive gear that is made. Everyone says that it must be an issue with the ring-gear or how it is installed.

Haven't had any grinding since the new starter was installed. Fingers crossed!

 

Uggggh.... Update!

New starter sometimes grinded but mostly worked fine until last night. The bendix/clutch on the starter went out and it would just spin freely. Have requested a warranty replacement for the starter and will try to put the old one back in to try and limp by....

 

**I'm confused, you say its a 460/c6 right? then there should be no ring gear, just flexplate right? are you sure it's not engaging TOO far or that maybe you have the wrong tooth count?

Can you post a couple pix of your original starter, especially showing the teeth?

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Does your mini starter have the longer nose or does it look like the min starter you have pictured? Are you sure that your original starter wasn't just going bad and not engaging all the way?

Next thing that comes to mind is the starter isn't seating all the way into the dust shield or the shield is too thick. You aren't using shims are you?

 

Had the same problem on my 460. Seems that there are two different starter drives for them. One that is used 99.9% of the time and one that is used the other .1%. The only difference is that one is has a slightly larger gear diameter. Yours must have the .995" dia gear, ask for Accurate starter drive part # 3-353, the dia on it is 1.039". That should work for you, like I said, "been there, done that" !!!

 

You're right. It's a flexplate. I'm sure that it's not engaging too far.... There's no wear on the far side of the flexplate.


Will do. I'll take photos of both starters tonight if I have time.

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I'll take photos and let you know. And yes, I thought that the first starter that I had was going bad so I replaced it with the mini starter. When that had issues grinding, I started to suspect there was more to it.

No shims and the starter seems to seat. I'll take a bunch of photos for you guys.

 

Old vs. New:


Flexplate:


Bendix gear (the one closest to the camera is the one with the bad bendix that wasn't throwing out. one on top is the replacement.)


Fitment when installed:

 

New starter seems to work fine and isn't grinding (yet.) Have only tried it about a dozen times but will come back in and report back in a few weeks.....

 

What manual starter would that be? 460 wasn't available w/a M/T until 1983, but the M/T uses the same starter as the A/T.

1980/89 truck parts catalog pic shows the starter applications. How many 460 starters do you see?

There are two different 460 flexplates. 1968/78, some 1979's use one type. Some 1979's, 1980/97's use the other.

1979: The block casting number must be known to get the correct flexplate. Could be D1VE-6015-AB or D9TE-6015-AB

There's only one 460 starter drive. The Bendix inertia type starter drive was not used after 1963. Bendix has a HUGE coil spring that has to be unwound to get at the roll pin that retains drive to armature.

D6PZ-11350-B (replaced C6VY-11350-A & C4OZ-11350-A) .. Starter Drive = 1968/73 429 / 1968/97 460 / 1964/76 all FE engines, and etc etc etc.