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I've installed a 351W into my 1966 F100 and am having a hard time finding a starter that works with it.
I'm using the old 300 CID bell housing with a T5 manual tranny and a 157 tooth flywheel.
The latest starter I have is a Powermaster 157 tooth starter. It bolts in fine. I measured the geometries and they seem OK (I'll have to measure again to make sure)
The starter just spins. It sounds like it's ejecting, but it's not engaging as if the diameter of the starter gear is too big or something.
I'm interested if anyone has found the right starter for this configuration.
Did some more investigation and found that the starter gear does pop in far enough, but it seems to be too small in diameter. This starter is a Powermaster 9162 which is supposed to be for a small block Ford.
Either my starter gear is too small in diameter or my flywheel is.
More on this. As it turns out, there isn't a starter that works with a 300 CID bell housing and a 157 tooth flywheel. I now need to replace the bell housing with a 351W Bellhousing or go to a bigger flywheel. Huge setback, given I was ready to start this engine.
Your best option is to get a 164-tooth flywheel and clutch. But if you really want that little clutch you will need a bellhousing and block plate for a 157-tooth flywheel. The 157-tooth bellhousing was only used behind small engines in light vehicles never in trucks.
I came to the same conclusion and have ordered the 164 tooth flywheel. From what you're saying, I need a bigger clutch too.
I usually like learning from my mistakes, but this one is expensive.
Should also note for the small blocks there is a auto and manual starter depending what the motor plate and flywheel / flex plate is.
The motor plate locates the starter not the bolts.
What transmission is the PM starter for?
I have a 81 F100 with a 300 & manual and dont have any issues at all.
They say the flywheels are drilled for both the 10" and 11".
I did not know this at the time, the replacement and the 1 pulled was a 10".
Think all new flywheels are drilled for both but check. I dont see any problems with a 10" disc even pulling the 20' enclosed trailer I do at times.
If you are just cruising and empty, guessing so with a T5, a 10" should be more than enough if you already have the 10"
Dave ----
Thanks. I spent a bit of time on the phone with Summit making sure that the 164 tooth flywheel I'm getting is compatible with the 10.5 clutch I have. It looks like it's going to work.
I'm not sure about your comment about the motor plate. Not sure what component that is other than the sheet metal between the bell housing and the block. My starter bolts into threaded holes on the bell housing with no way to adjust position.
The other thing I found is that the starter that came off my 300 doesn'tt have enough reach (fore to aft) for this config. I bought a starter compatible with the 351W and it has more reach.
Here is a picture of a couple of block plates. The 157T on the floor is for a manual trans, the 164T on the C6 is for an auto trans. I have no idea why Ford did this, but a lot of these block plates are specific to auto or manual transmissions. If you tried to use the one on the C6 with the bump outs in it on a manual flywheel those bumps would contact the flywheel and make a lot of unpleasant noises. The 157T is from a manual trans car, no bumps.
Be sure your starter is for a manual transmission. The engagement distance for an auto trans is 3/4 inch but for a manual trans it is 3/8 inch.
Black33ford, if you look at the starters you will see they have a locating lip around the gear end.
That lip fits in the in the motor plate that Crop Duster posted.
It keeps the stater from moving where if you just had the bolts the starter can move around and the gear clearance not to be correct.
Thanks for the pictures and schooling on the starter gear throw. I knew they were different but did not know what it was.
With today's junk rebuilt parts and more so for starters it would be easy to put the wrong starter in a box, auto starter in a manual number box.
Dave ----
The starter bolts into the bell housing through the motor plate. I don't see how it could possibly move around. Am I missing something?
That said, I do ensure that the lip fits into the motor plate.
Crop Duster.
Thanks for the info. However, my situation has some differences from what you're saying. The original engine was a 300 CID with a T5 transmission. I just discovered that it had the motor plate you identified as for an automatic. Didn't seem to have any issues when driving it. I've also found I need the 164 tooth flywheel with my 351W swap to engage with the starter. I must have had the 164 tooth before, but I don't have it anymore so I can't check it. I have to say at this point, I'm not sure the bell housing wasn't changed by the previous owner when he put the T5 transmission in.
Do you know if the T5 bolts to the original Bellhousing for the 300 CID?
