Stock Starter Mounting Bolts

[charliec]

'68 Dart, 340, 4 spd.
Starter mounting bolts are 7/16" diameter, and they fit the tapped holes in the bell housing.
The starter frame holes are not the same. One is 7/16"; the other is closer to 9/16". The sheet metal shield that mounts between the starter and the bell housing is tapped the same way. It's almost like there is supposed to be a bushing in there, but I don't have any such thing.
What am I missing?

 

[413]

What are you missing? Nothing!

That is how they are built. The starter has the machined circle on the nose and that pilots into the trans case to locate it. Carry on and move to he next real problem.

 

[Professor Fate]

The top lug is bigger because the top uses a stud, not a bolt.
The theory is that you get the starter up there and hung on the stud, and jiggle it around to get the pilot seated and then thread in the bottom bolt to hold it in place. The slightly oversized hole allows you to do that.
Then add the nut and washer to the top stud, and tighten everything up.
Then remember you forgot to attach the cables and take it all apart again.

 

[charliec]

That's an interesting approach from Ma Mopar. However, it seems that they modified that at some point, perhaps to remedy the absent minded dilema of leaving off the ground cable. My "stud" has a 5/8 hex head on it and a stud on the end to attach the cable to. Solved the cable problem, but getting that bolt started into the bell housing while trying to hold up a 20 lb. starter is a b-kitty for an old man with arthritic thumbs.

 

[charliec]

That's an interesting approach from Ma Mopar. However, it seems that they modified that at some point, perhaps to remedy the absent minded dilema of leaving off the ground cable. My "stud" has a 5/8 hex head on it and a stud on the end to attach the cable to. Solved the cable problem, but getting that bolt started into the bell housing while trying to hold up a 20 lb. starter is a b-kitty for an old man with arthritic thumbs.

View attachment 1716386172

I made it happen with the help of a 2x4 to prop the end up while I gingerly snuck in a couple of threads.

 

[413]

You have the factory hardware. The stud goes in the bottom hole.

It should have a lock washer. When the washer is left off the nut goes to the end of the threads. The next time when it is removed the stud comes out and the nut is jammed on the stud.

That's why yours looks like that.

 

[JDMopar]

I've never seen a stud in the top location. Every Mopar I've ever owned had them in the bottom hole from the factory. I may experiment with one in the top hole sometime to see if it's worse or better.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I made it happen with the help of a 2x4 to prop the end up while I gingerly snuck in a couple of threads.

View attachment 1716386197

That's a lot of exposed threads. Are you certain the stud is screwed in all the way?

 

[charliec]

I've never seen a stud in the top location. Every Mopar I've ever owned had them in the bottom hole from the factory. I may experiment with one in the top hole sometime to see if it's worse or better.

With the stud at this location it sure seems convenient to attach the ground cable.

 

[charliec]

That's a lot of exposed threads. Are you certain the stud is screwed in all the way?

Yep. See the photo above of this stud/bolt. The part that screws into the bell housing is a course thread. The hex is part of the bolt. The part that's exposed is 7/16 - 20. That's where the ground cable will attach.

You have the factory hardware.

It should have a lock washer. When the washer is left off the nut goes to the end of the threads. The next time when it is removed the stud comes out and the nut is jammed on the stud.

That's why yours looks like that.

It sure feels like a single piece, but maybe it's as you say, it's just jammed on.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Yep. See the photo above of this stud/bolt. The part that screws into the bell housing is a course thread. The hex is part of the bolt. The part that's exposed is 7/16 - 20. That's where the ground cable will attach.

It sure feels like a single piece, but maybe it's as you say, it's just jammed on.

Yeah, I'm real familiar with the stud. You aren't. There's no BOLT involved. The NUT however is screwed onto the STUD. Did you double nut the stud to assure it's screwed in all the way?

 

[charliec]

Yeah, I'm real familiar with the stud. You aren't. There's no BOLT involved. The NUT however is screwed onto the STUD. Did you double nut the stud to assure it's screwed in all the way?

OK, thanks. I was mistaken about that based on how hard the nut was jammed on there.

No, I didn't double nut it. Now that the starter is in place, I'll go back and make sure that it is all the way into the bell housing without being bottomed out.

Thanks, again.