I just replaced the starter in my car, and the new one has issues. The gear mesh is correct, but the face of the flywheel is too close to the face of the starter gear. I can't move the starter back any more, because the bolt hoes are too tight. I don't want to elongate them because I'm worried that the starter will not stay aligned properly. I have been told to shim the flywheel, but that would be a PITA.
The other thing that I have thought of is just replacing the solenoid on the old starter, but I already have the new one installed, and the factory starter is 17 years old now.
Any help would be great!

 

Are you sure you have the right one for your vehicle? My older Camaro required shims, but I don't think these do. There are many different types and they don't work on all years and engines.

 

It appears to be the right one, everything mounts up fine, and it's the one that they call for. The shimming isn't an issue, it's the clearance between the starter gear and the flywheel. They say it needs 1/16" of an inch, and if I have 1/32", I may be lucky.

 

Most starters come with instructions for the "paper clip" method. If the gears are too close, you shim the bolt closest to the flexplate. If it's too far apart, you shim the bolt farthest from the flexplate.