Closer Look: Meziere True Start Starters

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Take a heaping cup of cubic inches. Add in lots of compression, big horsepower, and a dash of extreme operating conditions. Mix well and pour into your race car of choice. Congratulations—you’ve just created a hearty recipe for Starter Suicide.

Sound terrible? It oughta. Using a stock-style or aftermarket “mini” starter on a large cubic inch, high-compression engine is simply a disaster waiting to happen. If you’re lucky, the starter will try to crank the engine over once or twice and just give up. More likely, the starter will fry itself the instant you put 12 volts to it, taking the flexplate and other expensive parts with it.

Fortunately, companies like Meziere Enterprises have solutions to the big motor vs. starter problem. Meziere named its line of high-torque starters the True Starter Series. We call them starters for bad boy engines.

Massive Overkill
Meziere really went overboard engineering the True Start starters—but that’s a good thing. Take the mounting block, for example. Whittled from a solid block of billet aluminum, it allows complete 360 clocking of the starter in 10 degree increments to clear most any header or chassis configuration out there. The motors are so powerful, they’re rated by kilowatts, just like electric power plants.

The gear reduction systems Meziere uses deliver massive amounts of starting torque to turn over engines up to 700 cubic inches. The reduction gears themselves are made from premium 9310 heat-treated steel alloy. The heat-treated steel lockup sprag and large roller bearings means smooth, positive starter gear engagement. And all this goodness is packaged in a compact unit smaller than a typical Chevy V8 starter, yet is 15 to 20 percent more powerful than a comparable starter.

Three Levels of Cranking Power
The Meziere True Start starters are available in three versions for small and big block Chevy: 
100 Series: Designed for engines up to 427 cubic inches and 14.5:1 compression, this starter is rated at 2.2 kilowatts and has a 3.75:1 final reduction. The offset design will clear most kickout-type oil pans.
300 Series: This inline-style starter (motor and gear reduction are in-line with each other) is ideal for cars with narrow frame rails or where space around the starter area is at a premium. It has a billet nose cone and works with most oil pans without a passenger side kickout. With a 1.8 kilowatt motor and a 3.75:1 final reduction, the 300 Series is ideal for engines up to 565 cubic inches and 17.0:1 compression.
400 Series: For engines up to 700 cubic inches and/or above 17:1 compression, this offset style starter has a 2.2 kilowatt motor, 3.75:1 final gear reduction, and an ultra-heavy duty drive assembly. A bearing glide support in the nose block provides additional support as the starter extends to engage the ring gear, resulting in more stability and less bending load on the starter drive. The 400 Series will clear most kickout-type oil pans.

Both the TS300 and the TS400 starters have a roller clutch assembly that is 50% larger in diameter than the clutch found in typical gear reduction starters. That allows the Meziere starters to transmit more cranking power for extended periods of time without damage due to stress and overheating.

A Word About Torque
Starters produce torque. It's the stuff that actually overcomes an engine's rotational resistance during startup. Obviously, the more torque a starter makes, the higher its ability to turn over high compression, big cubic inch engines. However, Meziere does not rate the True Start starters by torque output. According to Meziere, a torque number is meaningless without knowing the load (amperage) and speed (rpm) the starter was tested at.

Meziere knows those torque numbers because it uses a standard test to compare its starters to the competition. Each starter is loaded to a specific amperage draw and spun at the same speed to determine torque output—in other words, a true apples-to-apples comparison. So when Meziere says a True Start starter delivers 15 to 20 percent more cranking torque than the competition’s, you can believe it.

Starter Installation Check List
Even the best starter in the world can’t crank over your engine if not properly installed. The most critical aspect for smooth operation is starter-to-flexplate (or flywheel) engagement. Meziere has a check list to help you properly install your True Start starter. Make sure to do the clearance checks with the flexplate on the engine, but before you install the transmission.

Radial Clearance
• Pull the starter gear out with a pair of pliers so it engages the ring gear on the flexplate. The gear should engage without interference with a slight amount of gear lash (.025 inch maximum).
• Gear lash is critical. Too much lash will put excessive loads on the starter gear teeth. Too little lash will cause the starter gear to hang up on the flexplate ring gear after the engine has been started.
• To increase gear lash, add starter-to-block shims. To decrease lash, remove shims. If there are no shims used and gear lash is still too much, you might have to machine the starter mounting block to achieve proper lash.

Axial Clearance
Axial clearance is the amount of clearance between the starter gear and the flexplate ring gear when the starter gear is retracted. You want enough clearance to prevent the starter gear from engaging when the vehicle is under load, but not so much that the starter gear cannot engage the ring gear when the engine is started. Meziere recommends setting axial clearance between .06 and .140 inch.

Mechanical Integrity
• If you are reusing a flexplate, check it for cracks, metal transfer, or abnormal ring gear wear. Check the flexplate bolts for damage.
• Inspect torque converter pads for flatness. Check the back of the crankshaft and the starter mounting surface on the engine block for signs of metal transfer, These surfaces must be completely flat to ensure proper starter gear-to-ring gear engagement.
• Ideally, the starter gear should contact the ring gear teeth at a 90 degree angle, and stay completely meshed as the starter turns the ring gear.

Electriclal Circuit
Feeding the starter the proper voltage is extra-critical with high compression and/or large cubic inches. To check voltage, disconnect the coil to prevent the engine from starting, then observe voltage at the battery and at the starter as you crank the engine over. The readings should be within a ½ volt of each other. If you find a significant voltage drop, check all connections in the circuit and repair as needed. The voltage at the starter should not be below 9 volts to prevent damage to the starter motor, the starter gear, and the ring gear due to excessive loading.

Engine Tune
Believe it or not, the engine tuneup can affect starter operation. The combination of extreme timing advance curves (35 to 42 degrees BTDC) and high compression can cause the engine to kick back against the starter when cranking. Using an ignition system with a starting retard function that dials back timing during startup will prevent engine kick back and possible starter damage.

The True Start starters are designed for use with a 168-tooth flexplate; Meziere makes some nice billet steel ones that are SFI 29.1-approved. Meziere is also nice enough to include two high-strength bolts, washers, and a selection of shims with each starter. When it comes to cranking over your race engine, there is no substitute for torque. Bolt a True Start starter to your bad boy motor and enjoy smooth, reliable cranking.