Problem with Starter...

[Z Fury]

Ok, I'm an idiot. Here's the story.

I went to Pepboys to get a new starter. They took my AC Delco original starter as the core deposit and sent it in for remanufacturing/recycling/whatever. The starter they gave me didn't fit, so I returned it. They no longer have my core.

I call a GM Parts department to get a AC Delco unit, since it would be a direct replacement, but they had 2 different starters that model year (remanufactured part #323-367 or #323-485). The Parts guy wants to know the model number, but I don't know it. I can't get the old one back (already called). How screwed am I? How can I tell which starter I need?

 

[sewlow]

Can't the dealer identify the starter you need through your serial #? I don't know. Just a thought.
Or... buy both starters from GM, & return the one that's not right.

 

[Z Fury]

Both starters would cost me over $600... Gotta love dealership prices. I was hoping they could run the VIN and get a build sheet or something. There's gotta be a record like that somewhere...

I was also warned that installing the wrong one could damage the flywheel, and I really don't want this issue to get worse.

 

[sewlow]

Go back to PEPBOYS, buy both starters, return the one that's not right. Tell them that you want the jobber, good guy price, 'cause it was their screw-up in the first place that put you in the situation your in, now. Their parts books should have a listing for the 2 different starters, the same as the dealership. Pretty hard to fly like an eagle when your working with turkeys.

 

[Z Fury]

They actually do have 2 starters listed at Pepboys - one is the direct drive starter and the other is the gear reduction starter. When we compared my old Delco unit to the direct drive starter, my Delco unit was slightly smaller in overall length (less than 1/2"), but the Delco unit was a couple inches longer and heavier than the gear reduction starter. That's what initially confused us, so I took the direct drive starter home.

 

[FastOrange]

They actually do have 2 starters listed at Pepboys - one is the direct drive starter and the other is the gear reduction starter. When we compared my old Delco unit to the direct drive starter, my Delco unit was slightly smaller in overall length (less than 1/2"), but the Delco unit was a couple inches longer and heavier than the gear reduction starter. That's what initially confused us, so I took the direct drive starter home.

both starters will work...

 

[sewlow]

What's the diff? Is one more efficient than the other? Never knew about this.

 

[FastOrange]

What's the diff? Is one more efficient than the other? Never knew about this.

one is a smaller gear reduction style starter, other is old school big heavy SOB

 

[Z Fury]

both starters will work...

So the flywheels are the same size for both applications? The parts guy gave me the impression that the difference starters were due to different flywheels being used.

 

[FastOrange]

So the flywheels are the same size for both applications? The parts guy gave me the impression that the difference starters were due to different flywheels being used.

pretty sure its the same flywheel regardless, my current 350 has the flywheel off my 1995 350, which had a gear reduction starter, now it is using one of the big ones.