I am in need of a starter shim for my 390. I have a 3 bolt starter and it is definitely engaging too far. I have checked with autozone and O'reilley to no avail. I was thinking that 3 washers of the same thickness would work just fine??? The old starter could have used shims but the new one is definitely in need.

 

Sean, Do you have the metal gasket like piece that goes between the tranny and the engine installed? It has the shape of the bell and is on both auto and st. dr. trannys.
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John

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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

Of course I do but that was a good question though.

 

I have seen the shim issue come up before, and don't fully understand why they were used. Over the years, I have gotten reman starters and used them on my FEs with no shims or problems. I would suggest that if you replaced the starter and it doesn't fit, make them exchange it for you. As far as I know all of the Ford 3 bolts are the same. yes/no???
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

Never used s shim on a Ford FE starter.

 

Ford said that it should never need one either. I'm pretty sure mine doesn't either. Now it is grinding so I think the starter was warped or something. I'm going to check it and the flywheel. I don't think the starter is angled to the flywheel correctly.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 20-Feb-02 AT 01:39 PM (EST)]Is it possible that when they rebuilt the starter they forgot to put a washer between the bendix and the nose of the starter-on the motor shaft to limit the protrusion of the bendix into the flywheel/ring gear. If i remember correctly, there is a measurement you can take to see if the bendix is moving too far into the plane of the flywheel, i.e. from the surface of the starter where it mounts to the bell housing to the nose of the bendix gears. I kind of 'remember' there being a copper ring or washer between the bendix and the inside of the starter housing 'nose', but its been twenty years at least.
I am assuming that you are getting noise from the starter when you use it... and didn't used to get noise from the old one... If that is the case, you need to get on your suppliers case, as noted in other replies. tom

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-Feb-02 AT 11:05 AM (EST)]Hello;
Here is the official "Ford "Starter Alert" I am sorry to say it may not all be good news. This was one of the reasons I started on my rebuild, discared the 390, in favor of rebuilding the original 352 getting it back to stock.

>
TECHNICAL BULLETIN:
Ford Starter Shims
ALERT: FORD STARTER DRIVE FAILURES
APPLICATION: All Ford Inline 6 & V-8 Engines, 1963 thru 1991
PROBLEM: Ford starters come in (either a core or alleged defective)
with the clutch retaining cap on the drive cut off on the front side, or worn from running against the flywheel.

REASON: The engine flywheel is floating. The crankshaft thrust bearing that keeps the crankshaft centered wears after about 60,000 miles, allowing the whole crankshaft and flywheel assembly to move toward the front of the engine.
THIS IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE STARTER:
**REFER TO FIGURE 1 AND FIGURE 2 BELOW**

SOLUTION: Ford Motor Company has made a shim to correct this problem. The part number was D6TZ-11N004. It was .090 thick and fit between the starter nose housing and the bell housing. thus backing the starter away from the ring gear. Ford has discontinued this shim.

**THE SHIMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE THRU H. M. C.**

HOPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC.
8500 Carbide Cr., STE 3
Sacramento, Ca. 95828

(916) 688-8960

If possible always inspect the customers core to detect this problem in advance. You will save both, yourself and the customer a lot of time and money.
>END
>
I just hit the highlights here, the whole alert is about 3 pages long with discriptions and pic's of the shims. Could be it is online, I do not know; mine came with a Felpro gasket set. Of course you could always call them and have one sent out too you. Ask for the alert below "TECHNICAL BULLETIN" above.

Bill
b.ovando@att.net

 

Thanks, I'll have to check into getting one. I have had this problem with three starters and two flywheels. I think the tranny case may be a little warped or something. Gonna try the shim though.

 

What if you cut up a different metal plate to sandwich in there? Just take the round piece you need for the starter shim. Otherwise, I don't see why washers wouldn't work.