Ok, its not for my Vette but is still a 350. Didnt want to ask over "there" for obvous reasons, Ill just get even more pissed.

I have mini starter on my 350 Im trying to put in. Ive bought every stinkin %@# bolt for these it seems and none fit. Looks like I need one thats about 3/8 x 4.5" long, the 5" long one I have is a little too liong. Even Kragen after I gave them the 5" long one to match up sold me 2 GM ministarter bolts (for $4.21 ea to boot!), turns out they are metric.

Where the hell can I get one of these?

A few years back, my son and I were working on his Nova. we lost a bolt to something (don"t remember what now but was an add on). We tried every auto parts and hardware store in the area. A neighbor told us there was a nut & bolt store in the next town. They had nothing but nuts and bolts and were able to match the threads and length we needed.
Might look up in phone directory. We never thought there was a store that sold nothing but.
Good hunting!

Thanks. Guess I could go to Osh and get some grade 8s but was concerned about the importance of having the knurled end fitting snug in there. I have a ton of spring pressure to overcome and didnt want a problem starting it because I cheaped out and bought the wrong bolts.

Found them at Summit...3/8" x 4.45" for reference....

The ARPs aint cheap

Anyway I got a set of metric, bet they fit the Vettes. Bunch of others if anyone wants them.

You need no kidding starter bolts. They are made differently. The bolts should have a shoulder on them and they should have a knurled section under the shoulder on the bolt itself. The ARP # for a mini is 430-3504.

EDIT: I see you found them while I was looking up the part #.

Just curious, you've never cut the end off? Bolt is 1/2" too long....that takes about 10 minutes with a hack saw and a bench grinder.

Cut off how much you want and then shape it with the grinder.

Your threads may have been 1.25 pitch rather than 1 or 1.5.

The threads on all the different starter bolts I have are only about an inch no matter wht the overall length. Not sure I trust torquing down a bolt with a few threads. After the inch of thread there is a small section of knurled metal that fits in the first 1/2 inch (it takes a lot of stress when cranking over so its not all on the threads) or so of the bolt hole, the rest is smooth (unthreaded).

Oh I see. Yeah, if there are just a few thread left that would make sense.

Did you ever find out what thread pitch you needed?

When I bought my mini starter
the guy gave me the bolts for it.
They are ordinary grade 8 3/8
standard bolts but he included
a couple of stainless steel shims,
these resemble a roll pin, split
down one side. These have
worked great for me. I was told
that they can be bought at any
good hardware store.

Stock bolts from the parts book:

"14057900 Bolt, Attach (HFH 3/8" 16 X 4.65" W/Knurl 280M PZOR.)"

I always thought the mini starters were engineered to use stock starter bolts. Maybe not,

RACE ON!!!

I have the 'GM' mini bolts which dont fit, the aftermarket ones use an oddball size I guess.
Dont know what I did with the old ones, its been too many years since it was torn apart.

Thanks for the input.

Aftermarket minis are
drilled for metric bolts
thus the bigger diameter
holes. That's why I was
given the shims. I'm
really surprised why someone
hasn't manufactured bolts
to fit properly, given the
popularity of the minis.

Quote:I didn't note it in my post, but that bolt fits, Corvettes, from 1984 through 1990. That should include both the large, old style starter, and the later L98 stock "mini" starters.

RACE ON!!!

Thanks for the tip...Anybody need em?

have a bunch of other brand mew GM starter bolts of different sizes lol.

I'm set...for now. But thanks. Hang on to them. Someone will be needing them.

RACE ON!!!

PM sent.

Well, looks like I misjudged....It needed 4" bolts. Oh well, used a spacer for each, seats good. Next. Ughh...