My 2500 suburban broke both starter bolts in the engine block. Drilled them out and put starter back on. Only this time it was grinding. Put a couple shims in and got it going. Went a couple miles to the store and turned it off and grinding again. Six hours later after two packs of shims and got it going and got back home. Next day went to start it and grinding again. So I took all the shims back out and it started with none. Couple hours later SOS. Went and got oem bolts this morning and installed and grinding again. About to pull my hair out! Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
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1994 GM 6.5 turbo diesel starter grinding
- Thread starter chopsaw72
- Start date
Does it have the PIA front bracket on the starter? No?! Tow it rather than hit the starter again as it can snap the corner of the block clean off leaving you with a boat anchor block. 
NO SHIM is cast into the starter housing. Something else is wrong if you are attempting to use them. Possible garbage rebuild starter.
Is this a new to you rig? It's possible the flex plate is from a gas engine with the wrong tooth count or you have a cracked flexplate. Ring gear damage is also possible.
Last is the starter hanging up or other problems with it.
NO SHIM is cast into the starter housing. Something else is wrong if you are attempting to use them. Possible garbage rebuild starter.
Is this a new to you rig? It's possible the flex plate is from a gas engine with the wrong tooth count or you have a cracked flexplate. Ring gear damage is also possible.
Last is the starter hanging up or other problems with it.
Husker6.5
135' diagonal 16:9HD, 25KW sound!
Ditto that! No brace going from bolt near the starter solenoid to bolt on block by the freeze plug, DO NOT TRY TO START!!!! The most common block-killer of 6.2-6.5 engines is NO STARTER BRACE IN PLACE!!! The weight of the starter is waaay to heavy to hang off of the two long starter bolts, ESPECIALLY if the are not genuine GM starter bolts!!! You MUST use Genuine GM bolts, NOT the Dorman knock-offs from a chain parts store! They do NOT fit correctly! You MUST have that rear brace to hold the starter's weight - no brace and the cast ear on the block the two front starter bolts bolt into WILL snap off, IRREPARABLY, and you now have a 600 lb junk block boat anchor!
I hate to say it, but the symptoms you describe are those of wrong starter bolts used and/or no starter rear-to-block brace, either, and possible cracked mounting pad casting, too.
I hate to say it, but the symptoms you describe are those of wrong starter bolts used and/or no starter rear-to-block brace, either, and possible cracked mounting pad casting, too.
Husker6.5
135' diagonal 16:9HD, 25KW sound!
Well, I guess the most common head and block killer would be massive overheating (vis. some of @WarWagon's destroyed #8 cylinder walls), but a close #2 (or possibly #1?) Block Killer is the non-repairable broken starter mounting pad. You could possibly go through the very risky and precise method of cast iron welding, but with absolutely no guarantee that the repair would hold structurally over time - not to mention everything exactly lines back up after welding and grinding down the weld to make the mounting pad flat and square again - let alone the first time you hit the starter and SNAP! CLUNK! GRIND! OH SH*T!
Will L.
Well-Known Member
Definitely overheating kills way more.
as to welding it up- it just isthe capabilities of the welder. Good ones can do it no problem- but depending how it is damaged, ya might need to remove the block.
as to welding it up- it just isthe capabilities of the welder. Good ones can do it no problem- but depending how it is damaged, ya might need to remove the block.
Husker6.5
135' diagonal 16:9HD, 25KW sound!
The only problems with welding cast iron is that patience is number one as is proper prep. Besides absolute cleanliness of the pieces, everything must be pre-heated to at least 800°F prior to welding so that heat shock of the arc welding doesn't put multiple micro cracks in the casting, and then after welding the piece needs to be packed in several hundred pounds of hot sand and allowed to slowly cool over several days to prevent cold shock from creating micro cracks in the casting. Welding cast iron is a skill of a very experienced welder and even then, there's no guarantee that even if everything is done correctly, with the proper rod for the arc-welder, that the repair won't structurally fail down the road.
Doing the job properly, the block HAS to be out, stripped down, and thoroughly cleaned before heating the parts and beginning the welding process.
You could try to attempt to stick weld the broken starter pad into place with the engine in the truck, but the odds of it lasting for any amount of time, let alone not just failing out of the gate, are probably the same as the University of Nevada Wolfpack winning the Division I NCAA Football Championship against Alabama.
Doing the job properly, the block HAS to be out, stripped down, and thoroughly cleaned before heating the parts and beginning the welding process.
You could try to attempt to stick weld the broken starter pad into place with the engine in the truck, but the odds of it lasting for any amount of time, let alone not just failing out of the gate, are probably the same as the University of Nevada Wolfpack winning the Division I NCAA Football Championship against Alabama.
Last edited:
dbrannon79
I'm getting there!
yes, on the rear starter bracket! I have learned the hard way. when I bought my truck the PO never installed the bracket and I snapped a bolt! when I went to pull the starter down I found the devastation! someone had already welded on my block where it had snapped and heli-coiled it. to this date it is still holding, along with the bracket in place, but last time I was under there checking things I noticed that the bracket is bent!! I am now on the lookout for an affordable engine for mine when this one gives up the ghost.
That was a failed injector with 170K+ miles on it pissing fuel: that melted down the piston with a concering knock when on the throttle. The PO ignored the knock pulling a trailer up a grade till he couldn't. Then abandoned it as soon as it came to a complete stop with his Boy Scout passengers like it was on fire and they were going to die...
