had some starter problems so i bought one of the high torque mini starters since i have headers...when i crank it the starter gear gets stuck in the flywheel and clangs and clatters real bad...put a couple of shims under it and it still did it...anyone think i might need more shims or possibly got a bad starter...the starter was obviously mounted on a vehicle when i bought it and the guy at the parts store said that someone tried it and it wouldn't fit...it's a 82 305 auto...

 

If the starter you bought had been previously used then the bendix may have been damaged.If you've already tried shimming it then the starter is getting hung up in your flywheel.I'd get another starter becuase if you keep trying this one you're going to break teeth on your flywheel.Is the 305 the original motor to the car?Have you changed/checked the flywheel?Have you tried looking what starter you need online to make sure you're getting the right one?

 

Have you checked the starter and flywheeth teeth? It could just be that the starter wasn't shimmed properly and the two aren't meshing correctly.

If you can, get under the car and have someone bump the motor over a few times to fully inpect the flywheel and starter. It should be a dead giveaway if something isn't aligned correctly or if something is just plain broken.