As some of you may know, I have been fighting starter issues for over a year. I've been through two ring gears and 6-8 starters. I was completely stumped, and even had a machine shop fill and re-tap my starter mounting holes in the factory location. I still had issues. I was buying a 4-speed from a local guy and he mentioned that he had the same problems, and it was a starter from a 390 that finally fixed his issues. Well, when I installed my rebuilt engine, I went with a 390 starter and it sounds absolutely fantastic. I don't wince and pray that a starter tooth doesn't break when I crank it. I am having overheating issues now (still haven't broken in the cam completely) but for the 3 times I have started the engine, it sounds absolutely amazing. Has anybody else heard of this or had to use the same combo? I am using the 180-tooth flywheel from Napa.

 

strange but interesting issue.

 

Had problems with the starter on an old 79 f350 of my bosses when I was in high school (all those years ago). He had purchased a 360 for it after blowing up whatever was in it. I think it was a 390, by the time I was working for that place it had already had four engine swaps for whatever engine they could find for cheap. But it kept killing starters on this 360, turned out to be a 361 FT so it had a different Bendix tooth count.

 

I believe someone mentioned the FE flywheels will bolt to a 460. In which case, you probably have an FE flywheel on the engine.

 

Maybe....I replaced the flywheel myself, and double checked the part number when I installed it the first time, then again when I rebuilt the engine and replaced the ring gear. It's possible Napa has their part numbers mixed up, but the flywheel definitely came with 180-tooth ring gear, not the 184 that the FE flywheels got. Either way, I have a truck that starts nice and smoothly every time I turn the key. That's all that matters to me!