Starter shimming problems

"I got a new starter for my 3.

"I got a new starter for my 3.0L (its the type with the one long/one short bolts) and shimmed it with regular washers. I messed around with it a few times and go it to a point where it sounded good and solid. Today I was out on the lake and it was a no go. Starter spun and gear didn't connect. The teeth are ground down some and I have a feeling that improper shimming is causing the problem.

Question is: What is the correct procedure for gettting the right amount of shims on the starter? The book says remove the flywheel cover and inspect the gears for proper mesh...lol..um, ok, right."

"Russ, I will guess you placed

"Russ, I will guess you placed the washers between the starter body and the block? I always bolted them directly to the block, and I never heard of a requirement to shim them. If you have worn ring gear teeth, you will need to replace the ring gear or the flywheel, and the starter gear."

"Well, I put it on myself. Sc

"Well, I put it on myself. Screw payn 150 bucks min. to have someone put it on. For some reason this one worked fine without any shims. I even bought a shim kit for it. I cranked it about 20 times or more over a day or two, pull the starter and checked the wear pattern on the teeth. Everything looks good."