I have a 1982 f150 that originally had a 302 and got a swapped 5.8 351w from a ford galaxie, it has a automatic c6 transmission and it has gone through a couple of starters it keeps grinding when tried to start I bought it a 200 dollar starter the part number is sum-820055 and it has a 164 tooth flexplate and it grinds even worse with starters from autozone but before I think it had a 157 flexplate and the autozone starters lasted about a month before they started grinding, the flywheel is new with no defects and I feel like it needs a starter with a wider diameter pinion ring gear but I need help I don't want to sell my truck so I want to fix it asap

 

Been seeing this more and more over the last 5 years or so. Before that I'd never heard a Ford starter grind. Chevy starters, sure. All the time. They even sold very common and well-known shim kits for that. Nowadays we even see Ford starter shims on the HELP rack at the auto parts stores.

First off, you're sure your starters have been for automatic transmissions, correct?
The 5.0 and 5.8 starters should be the same.
Are the starters you're getting the newer PMGR starters with the solenoid mounted to the body piggyback style? Or are they the older design with the relay/solenoid/thingy on the fender only?

I would not think that if you had a 157t flexplate the starters would even engage. But I suppose they might. And if you had one and it did work, then I guess that answers that.

Do you have a picture of the gear in the starter to see where it's wearing? What about the ring gear on the flexplate? You say it's perfectly fine still, but is there any visible wear at all?

Anyway, for starters (pun intended I guess!) I would maybe add a washer between the starter and the bell housing, under one bolt (the lower/outer one for ease). Maybe a thicker washer if you have them. Then give the key a quick twist to see how it sounds. Does the sound change for the better or worse?
If better but not yet right, try a washer under the other bolt.

If worse, take the washer out and try it under the other side.
If the two-washer thing works the best, pop down to the local parts store and grab a shim from the HELP spinner rack. They're about 1/8" thick or so, and are an odd shaped ring with two holes in it. Pretty obviously for a Ford starter.

Good luck.

Paul

 

Welcome to FTE.


I have heard there are 2 starters, 1 for auto tranys the other for stick tranys, make sure you get the right one.
You do have the engine plate between motor & bell housing right? It fits behind the flex plate but you should be able to see it between the motor/bell housing and the starter hole. This plate locates the starter and with out it the starter can move around and not match right.


I would say if you cant see where the 2 gears meet then you could measure the starter gear throw from the starters mounting face.
Then measure the flex plate gear from the starter mounting face on the bell housing.
With the 2 measurements you should be able to tell if they line up or not and go from there.
Dave ----

 

Okay so this is crazy, I made a bracket to make the starter gear closer to the flexplate and it works now, no grinding at all but I would still like to know what set up I need because the bracket I made is probably not going to last for ever. I left the bottom bolt hole how it is and put the bracket on the top so that it can move the starter to the right closer to the flexplate so the problem was that the starter gear needed to be closer to the flexplate does any one know the correct flexplate and starter set up or where I can get a starter with a little bigger gear for a 164 tooth flexplate

 

Do you know the year of the "Galaxie" you got the 351W from?

And, are you sure the 351W is from a 1969/72 Galaxie//1969/78 LTD and not a 1979/82 LTD or 1983/89 Crown Victoria?

No Galaxies after 1972, LTD name changed to Crown Victoria beginning in 1983.

There are different flexplates and harmonic balancers and both have to match! Otherwise you'll have a vibration that will eventually tear the center from the flexplate. Not pleasant!

And be aware that the 351W A/T starter is different than the M/T starter.

 

I believe it is a 62 or 70s galaxie I will check when I get home.

 

The 351W was introduced in 1969, so it cannot be from a 1962 Galaxie...unless it was swapped in.

1962 Galaxie: 292, 352, 390 & 406 were the only V8 engines available.

Are you sure it's really a 351W?

 

Im positive its a 351w I will have to post the engine vin on here