1991 4.3 OMC Cobra starter

[Bjames22134]

Hey guys I’m wondering if it matters how many teeth a starter has for my 1991 4.3 OMC Cobra. It has the offset bolt pattern. I have seen some with 10 teeth and some with 11. The original one has 9. I can’t get the exact one cause it’s discontinued so I have to get a reman and they only have options for 10 or 11 teeth

 

[Scott Danforth]

there are 4 types of starters for a GM motor (that is not an inboard only installation)

there is direct drive or PMGR
there is straight across or staggered pattern

so, get an offset bolt pattern and either a PMG or a direct drive (I would go with the PMGR)

 

[Bjames22134]

Starter grinding

Hey guys been working on my boat for a while. It’s a 1991 sunbird Corsair 185 with the 4.3 cobra omc. I put a new starter in it and it cranked the motor over for a while but now it’s just grinding. Tried putting shims in it and all it does is spin like it’s not even touching the flywheel. So I put another new one in thinking it wore the teeth off the starter but still the same result. Could it be my flywheel is no good? Maybe it loosened up?Don’t wanna pull the motor out again seems how I just got it in after fighting with it for 4 hours. Thanks guys any input would be a blessing

 

[Bjames22134]

Starter grinding updated

Hey guys been working on my boat for a while. It’s a 1991 sunbird Corsair 185 with the 4.3 cobra omc. I put a new starter in it and it cranked the motor over for a while but now it’s just grinding. Tried putting shims in it and all it does is spin like it’s not even touching the flywheel. So I put another new one in thinking it wore the teeth off the starter but still the same result. Could it be my flywheel is no good? Maybe it loosened up?Don’t wanna pull the motor out again seems how I just got it in after fighting with it for 4 hours. A boat mechanic thinks I might have a car motor and said a marine starter won’t work if that’s the case? Thanks guys any input would be a blessing

 

[alldodge]

The 4.3 should need no shims. The shims just move the teeth further away from the ring gear

Remove the plugs and then rotate the motor over by hand using the belts. Watch the ring gear to see if there are bad spots

Morning GA_Boater OMC section please