[MyJudge69]

I have been working on Pontiac engines for more than 50 years, both professionally and as a hobby. A great deal of wise information has been discussed.

I find that original equipment starters are adequate for most any Pontiac engine if all the correct parts are used. Many applications such as restorations must maintain originality so aftermarket starters are not an option.

Assuming the electrical system is up to par, I have found 2 common issues that create a hot start problem:

(1) The started brace is frequently missing. The brace attaching to the back stud on the starter motor case MUST be used to prevent a hot start problem. The brace used thru 1969 is a fairly large support with the other end attaching to the motor mount bolt. The 1970 and later engine has additional motor mount bosses and the support looks more like a strap with it's other end connecting to one of those additional motor mount bosses.

(2) A light duty starter was used to replace the original high torque unit. Many are not aware that starters for small cubic inch engines used a lower torque starter that had the same physical dimensions. The field coil inside the HD starter is longer than it's light duty counterpart. It is easy to identify the longer coil from outside the starter. The tab that connects the coil to the solenoid uses a 1/4" by 3/4" spacer and longer screw. The smaller coil on the light duty starter connects directly to the solenoid. The internal armatures are also different but generally not mixed up by starter re-builders.