Gentleman, you may be able to help. I have recently rebuilt my 400 (please keep reading!!) and upon inspection my 40 year old starter motor is on it's last legs. The armature is nearly worn out as are the brushes. It still starts ok but it will need replacing soon as money allows. I also want to fit extractors as the old cast log manifolds are all but shot and I want the horse power as well. In my Galaxie (sorry it's not a truck) the steering is RHD as it was assembled from new in Australia and the room by the starter is tight to say the least so a smaller gear reduction seems the go.
My question is this, there seems to be a couple of good G/R starters out there with indexable faceplates to help with room around the 300 buck mark which will be a little while before I can afford. I have tried sourcing the wreckers over here for applicable truck 460/7.2 starters but we dont have the volume of trucks or after market back up and they just say no good.
Seeing that the 429-460 starters (at least the old ones) are the same as the 351m-400 can anyone suggest alternatives? I have seen a cheaper one at alterstart, so can anyone help with how good they are? Obviously being in Aussie warranty may be a problem so a bit of homework is essential. I have posted this in several forums with little results. Can you Big block boys help out a little 400 owner?

 

Heh smiffy I know where there is a 477 in a truck in a paddock on a mates farm and I know it was driven there and parked up I have had a look at the motor and it seems ok and I am told it still goes ok but it is a huge motor 2 big for me. My mate was gunna use it for a tractor pull but I reckon it will just rust away where it is. If the starter would suit your project it would be no probs to grab it for ya.

 

477 is the old "Super Duty" engine, and I doubt any parts interchange with anything else.... It is not related to the 460 or any other Ford engine for that matter.

 

Thanks Wall for the try. I've been told their is a gear reduction starter on the later 460 (7.2 that fits but as I've said I tried the wreckers over here in OZ and it's just too hard. It would not be quite as ideal as an indexable one but it would be useable if it was really cheap!