I am looking at new starters on Ebay and they list a 9 tooth and an 11 tooth. It appears that the 9 tooth would be right for mine by their listings but not 100% sure. My Suburban is a 2003 with a 5.3 engine. I hoped to wait until I had the new one before I pulled mine off to count the teeth on the bendix. I feel like there must be a different size flexplate with a different number of teeth on it to cause the different number of teeth on the bendix. My Suburb is going to roll over 250,000 miles soon and this wil be my first real repair since I bought it new, except for a couple of batteries, air and fuel filters and a belt. If anybody could answer the bendix question it would help. Thanks - - - Rick
Starter replacement
- Thread starter heck55
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We have a couple of local parts stores and they probably would have one or can get it I just had one pulled up on Ebay and thought I might try it if I was sure it was right. Have not done one on LS type but the old SBC and BBC I have done plenty and interchangeability was great. I also get tired of the parts store questions: air cond?, Pwr steering?, remote control ashtrays? I guess I have just gotten too old to deal with them. Rick
zora
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well at least they can immediately exchange the unit if it is wrong providing you just dont bring in the old one to match it. Online chains NAPA, Autozone, etc. do not show two different starters for that vehicle so not sure what kind of supplier you found on ebay.
It looked like the starter with 11 tooth bendix fit the earlier 97 thru 2004 LS1 and LS6 engines and the 9 tooth was for later LS3's etc. It was easy on the old small blocks and big blocks but I am out of touch on these newer engines on a lot the stuff about them. Thanks - - - Rick