289 / AOD Flexplate and Starter Selection
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Burbank, WA
The rear drive 3.8L V6 did share bell housing bolt patterns with the sbf. It was intended to be Ford's saving grace and interchange and be an alternative for the 5.0 and replace the 200/250 inline 6, but was plagued with head gasket failure problems for 20 years. I don't know if they ever figured out the problem.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
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From: Simi Valley, CA
The rear drive 3.8L V6 did share bell housing bolt patterns with the sbf. It was intended to be Ford's saving grace and interchange and be an alternative for the 5.0 and replace the 200/250 inline 6, but was plagued with head gasket failure problems for 20 years. I don't know if they ever figured out the problem.
If the valve cover gaskets didn't seep oil from day one, it was a miracle! If the timing cover didn't rot out before 40,000 miles, it was a miracle! If the head gaskets didn't blow before 50,000 miles, it was a miracle!
Ford was never able to solve these problems.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Lethbridge AB
Good Lord and I was going to rebuild that 3.8 and use it. I was going to go with the supercharger and then do the tweaks and add ons to gain more hp. P/O gave me a copy of all the steps to take to do it. I'm glad I stayed with the 289. It was just to good of motor in its day to pass up the chance to reuse it. Besides I can fix it if it breaks down....
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Lethbridge AB
Just went out to the garage to check the bolt patterns. Had a sheet metal plate on the back of the 289 installed between the motor and tranny. All the boltholes are the same except for the starter bolts. They are farther out on the AOD than what was on the fordomatic 2 speed that was bolted in the truck. I'm just going to see if the flexplate teeth match up with the 3.8 starter.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,571
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From: Oxford, Indiana
That's because the AOD runs a large diameter 164-tooth flexplate and the early small blocks ran a 157-tooth small diameter plate. The difference isn't in the teeth or the pitch of the teeth, it's all about diameter. A larger flexplate requires more of the same tooth to cover the added distance of the larger diameter. Regardless of what some will tell you and the rumors you hear, pretty much any starter for an automatic transmission on any Ford engine with the small block bellhousing bolt pattern will interchange from one application to the next. There are at least three different physical designs that I'm aware of, but they will all bolt on and function properly in place of each other. For instance, a starter off of a '66 Fairlane with a 289 and a C4 will fit onto a '96 F-250 with a 4.9L straight 6 and an E4OD and vice versa. They look nothing alike and the wiring is slightly different, but one will fit in place of the other. Manual transmission starters are a different animal altogether, but you shouldn't have any problem with the automatic units.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Lethbridge AB
Well then there's one more issue solved. Now for one more question. HOW ON EARTH DID THE OLD BOYS OUT THERE FIGURE ALL THIS STUFF OUT BEFORE THE INTERNET? I think they had a special knowledge that if it hasn't disappeared already is going to disappear in the very near future. I personally would not be able to do what I want to do without the help of this forum and I send a huge thank you to every one who shares this info. Cudo's to you all.
Remi
Remi
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