Ok, first let me begin by thanking everyone for all your help lately. I have called on you guys a dozen times this month for help on my 60 F100 project and, like always, you saved my ****.

Now for my latest issue. I bought a TCI C4 tranny, bell housing, torque converter and 157 tooth flex plate. I put the block plate on and bolted everything on to my 351w from Ford Motorsports for a test fit. Everything looks good. I bought a Ford Motorsports mini starter too but when I bolted it on for a test fit it looks like it's going to be to far away from the flex plate to engage it. Jegs has two mini starters listed. One for automatics and 1 for manual. I brought the one for an automatic.

I was looking around the Internet last night and saw some starters with a 3/4 offset. Is that what I need?

Thanks

 

Darned if I know, but I would be tempted to do more searches on the ring gear size / starter problem here, TCI (and the HAMB).

Until some real experts (they are here) come along I’ll tell you an old story about an Econoline van that I bought in the early seventies that someone had started replacing the stock six with a 289. I finished up the project (std trans) but never could get any starter to work correctly, tried many. This was before the internet so I ended up grinding the starter mount until in engaged (poorly), not a recommended fix.

 

Are you talking too far away in and out, or side to side? If side to side, are you sure you have the correct tooth count on the flexplate? You could very well need the 164 tooth f/p. It's the bellhousing that determines which flywheel/flexplate you need. Some are bigger than others.

 

It's side to side. I have a 157 tooth because that's what our Friends at Ford Motorsports told me I needed. Not sure a 164 will fit in this bell housing. Maybe, I'll measure but it would be tight.

 

My 289 used a 164 tooth flexplate. If the starter is to far away I would think you need the bigger F/P. Also I don't think it has to do with the bellhousing, I think I remember the difference being in the plate between the engine and the transmission. When I restored the Mustang I had 2 different plates.....

Paul

 

The starter bolts to the transmission bellhousing, not the block plate. The size of the bellhousing, and the location of those bolt holes, is what determines which flywheel is needed. All of the pieces need to match and work together, including the block plate, as it pilots the starter to it's attaching bolt holes.

 

To my knowledge there are two starters for the SBF one for automatics and one for stick. The stick is shorter. There are three flyeheel/flex plate balances o (no imbalance, 28 ounce and 50 ounce). No Imbalance is used on some 347 CI stroker aftermarket cranks with a special counterweight added.

I found a link to this in FTE

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ance-info.html

Ford Flywheels and Flexplates

Ford changed the imbalance on the 302 (otherwise known as the 5.0L) engines in 1981. Some sources list this change as 1980 in a confusing way, but all of the reliable data I found said 1981 was the first year of the new 50oz imbalance motors. Thus, if your motor was built before 1981, then it's a 28oz imbalance motor. If it was build in 1981 or after, it's a 50oz imbalance motor. If you are not sure, use Google to find ways to check for sure what you have.

 

That is great stuff, I knew there was someone that had the info.
(where were you in '72 when I needed it?)

 

I was messing around with flex plates today, All 3 I have are diferent (all 50 oz. plates)(fits 1971 351 Clevelands) . The ring gear to hub center heights vary 1/8" ??? I messed around with the measuring sticks for a while and realized that the distance from the hub center to the torque converter mounting location is even further off (a full 1/4") !! Now I have to figgure out witch one is the correct flex plate. I am planning on running my 351 on a test stand in the next week or so. I am using a bell housing from a C4 with no torque converter The transmixer I am going to use is the venerable C6 with a bit O magic added. Both the engine and transmission were in a 88 notch back stang that would run in the low 9's.
I am detuning it a bit for the truck . Open chambered 2V heads with a dual plane manifold to match up and a 600 CFM 2 bbl. I am also changing the cam to a torque style motorhome cam for a bit of economy. If it works out it should be an honest 275 to 300 HP.

 

Sounds like a fun little project. But I have to admit, I think you lost me with the no torque converter thing. I don't know what a transmixer is, or how a C6 got mixed in with your C4?

The one thing I do know is a 351 Cleveland, and all the 351's, for that matter, all use the 28 oz flywheel/flexplate. The only engine that uses the 50 oz is the 1981 and newer 302.

 

my bad!!! They are 28 Ounce flexplates. I did not re read what I typed.

 

Ok, so Marty here is your punishment for being bad;

Could you sometime do a chart listing the engine, the year used, the balance and weight and the various dimensions of flex plates that you have found. Number guy might just come out of retirement to put parts numbers to each option?