So im driving to a car show saturday night with my 68 and i stop to get gas. After i fill up i go to start the car and i hear the worst noise ive ever heard in my life, the bendix in the starter was grinding against the flywheel because the bottom bolt holding my starter to the bell housing fell out and there was about 1.5 inch gap between the starter and bell housing. how the heck did the bolt fall out? or what could have happened?

 

It was loose and worked itself out.. no prob.. get another one and put it in. You may want to check the teeth on your starter / flywheel to be sure you didnt destroy them..

 

I was under my car and I saw that my starter had came loose too...I got to mine before it fell into the flywheel...just a heads up to everyone...check your two starter bolts Scott

 

luckly it was my bottom bolt so it must have just fallen to the ground, but it was strange cuz i only drove 3 miles to the gas stations after startin it fine in my driveway. i got a ride back to my house, got another car, drove to an auto parts store, picked up and bolt screwed it back in. when i get the chance im going to replace the starter and check out any damage i may have caused. i wont be driving it for awhile since im back at college.

 

Ha! I had almost the same thing happen with old my '65 200ci when I was back in high school.

The aluminum mount had broken around one of the bolts and the starter ended up hanging by the bottom bolt.

Scared the heck out of me when I hit the starter. I had to push start the car for a couple of days until I could get a new starter.

Those were the days.

 

Put some Blue locktight on those bolts for some insurance....

For me it seems like once a bolt starts backing out it keeps backing out..... I guess bad habits are hard to break!!

 

That is always fun, it is amazing how many little hills and grades you can find to park on when the starter does not work.....