So it's been over a year since I sold my T/A.. but I am curious: Has anyone else encountered loose starter bolts? Resulting in a broken starter and block, like me?

I think the clutch was replaced before I bought the car and they just weren't tightened/lock tighted. I was at a gas station and went to leave and it made a bad noise when I tried to start, tried to start again and it was still goofed up. I got it started, went home (I was over an hour from home at the time) and checked it out when I got home. The small ear on the starter was broken and the outer bolt boss on the block broke out, about 1/4 of it. Put a new starter on and A LOT of red thread locker and it was fine from then on. But damn, how much would that suck to have to get a NEW ENGINE because some idiot didn't tighten the bolts? Could that even be repaired? I called a few places to see if they could weld it, redrill + tap, but they pretty much said no.

All in all this is a pretty worthless thread but whatever, I'm bored, and maybe it'll save someone some grief someday.

 

The starter bolts don't require Loctite but the torque spec is 37 lbft, and unless you use a torque wrench how do you know? I've had mine off a half a dozen times and never had it be loose.