Tools you need for starter on a 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Moderate · 1-2 hours · Updated 2026-09-28
Must-have tools
15 mm socket, 1/2 in drive
13 mm socket, 3/8 in drive
3/8 in drive ratchet with extensions
Torque wrench, 3/8 or 1/2 in drive
Floor jack and jack stands
On the K2XX Silverado the starter is one of the easier electrical jobs on the truck. It hangs off the lower passenger side of the block and comes out from underneath with two 15 mm bolts and one 13 mm cable nut. Most of the work is lifting the truck safely and getting a ratchet and extension in past the exhaust, transmission cooler lines, and on 4WD trucks the front differential housing.
Engine choice barely matters here, since the 4.3 V6, 5.3 and 6.2 all use the same Gen V block layout and starter fasteners. The two things people get wrong: leaving the battery connected and shorting the hot B+ stud with a socket, and tossing the thin shim that sometimes sits between the starter and block, which leads to a grinding crank afterward. Also confirm the problem is actually the starter, since a corroded ground strap or a weak battery on these trucks mimics a failed starter closely.
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Complete tool and parts list
Item
Type
Floor jack 2 ton minimum Lift the truck to get under the passenger side.
Park on level ground, chock the rear wheels, and disconnect the negative battery cable at the battery (10 mm or 13 mm clamp bolt, check yours). This step is not optional: the starter B+ stud is hot at all times.
Raise the front passenger side, or the whole front, and set it securely on jack stands. Remove the plastic splash shield or front skid plate if your trim has one blocking access.
From underneath, locate the starter on the lower passenger side of the block, just ahead of the bellhousing. Move any transmission cooler line bracket or wiring clip out of the way if it blocks the bolts.
Note or photograph the wiring before touching it. Remove the 13 mm nut holding the heavy battery cable to the solenoid B+ stud, then remove the small solenoid control wire (push-on connector with a lock tab on most, small nut on some).
Support the starter with one hand and remove the two 15 mm mounting bolts. The rear bolt usually comes out with an extension and swivel; the starter is heavy for its size, so don't let it drop on the steering or cooler lines.
Lower the starter out, rotating the nose down and toward the rear to clear the exhaust. If a thin metal shim was between the starter and the block, keep it and reuse it in the same position.
Compare the new starter to the old one: same nose length, same bolt spacing, same stud orientation. Transfer any heat shield.
Fit the new starter, start both 15 mm bolts by hand, then torque to 37 ft-lb (50 Nm).
Clean the battery cable lug with a wire brush, reattach it to the B+ stud, torque the nut to 13 ft-lb (18 Nm), and add a light film of dielectric grease. Reconnect the solenoid control wire until the clip clicks.
Re-install any brackets, shields, and the skid plate. Lower the truck.
Reconnect the negative battery terminal and torque to 11 ft-lb (15 Nm). Start the engine and listen for a clean, fast crank with no grinding or whine after start-up.
If it grinds or whines, the drive gear engagement is off: check that the shim was reused (or is needed) and that the bolts are fully seated.
Watch out
The starter battery stud is live with the battery connected. Disconnect the negative cable first or you risk a dead short and burnt cable.
The exhaust manifold and pipe sit directly above the starter. Let the engine cool for at least an hour or you will get burned.
Do not cross-thread the starter bolts into the aluminum block. Start both by hand and never use an impact to run them in.
If your old starter had a shim between it and the block, it must go back in, or the drive gear will grind the flexplate teeth.
Battery disconnect may cause the radio presets, clock, and window auto-up learn to reset. No battery registration is required on these trucks.
Do not pull on the solenoid control wire to remove it. Release the plastic lock tab first; the connector gets brittle with heat.
The two 15 mm M10 mounting bolts, 37 ft-lb torque, and 13 mm B+ nut are standard across GM Gen V small blocks including the 4.3, 5.3 and 6.2 in this generation, but confirm your battery terminal bolt size (10 or 13 mm) and whether your solenoid wire is push-on or nutted before you go under the truck.
Frequently asked
Where is the starter on a 2014-2018 Silverado 1500?
Lower passenger side of the engine block, just forward of the transmission bellhousing. You access it from underneath the truck, not from above.
What size are the starter bolts?
Two 15 mm head M10 bolts on all engines in this generation, torqued to 37 ft-lb (50 Nm). The battery cable nut on the solenoid stud is 13 mm.
Do I have to remove anything else to get the starter out?
Usually not. Some trucks have a plastic splash shield or a transmission cooler line bracket in the way, and you may need to swivel the starter nose down to clear the exhaust pipe on the way out.
Why does my new starter grind after replacement?
Almost always a missing shim or the wrong-length nose. If the old starter had a thin steel shim between it and the block, it must be reused in the same spot, or the pinion sits too deep in the flexplate teeth.
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