i must be loosing my mind cuzz ive got a problem and i cant remember what starter i need. i did the 460 swap using the 400 bell and a 360 flywheel,with a diafram clutch. the first time i got lucky and had a starter layin around and after that i just kept using the same one. now that starter is long gone and i need a new one so my ? is when i go to the parts store what do i tell them i need a starter for? i know i could confuse the chick at advance auto by tellin her a 71 f250 4sp with a 460 and she'll say it didnt happen that way

 

Dont know if this would have any bearing on your setup, but a friend of mine has a 351/400M & was having starter problems with it chewing up teeth.
Come to find out the end housing on the starter was just a little bit different if he was using an aftermarket one & had 10 teeth as well. To solve the problem, he either had to find an old stock starter like came on the truck & use that end housing or either find a 9 tooth gear. Best I can remember the stock end housing or either the 9 tooth gear was hard to find.
Neil

 

I am putting together almost the same set up to go into my '77 hi-boy. 460, 390 flywheel, 351m bellhousing, 460 diaphram clutch. It's just sitting on the shop floor because I want to make sure I have a starter that will work before I put it in the truck, ( heard several sad stories aboutguys removing their engine in frustration because they cant get the starter/flywheel/bellhousing combo they have to work), so this weekend I am going to test fit starters from a 351M, a 360,and a 460,and see which ( if any ) looks like it will work. If I figure it out I will post the info.

 

I'm not 100% sure, & I did have to buy a flexplate awhile back, but the amount of teeth is not fresh in my mind, but I think it was 164 teeth on the flexplate, so count those on that flywheel of your to see if it is the same. If it sould be more teeth on the clutck flywheel, then you may need the 9 tooth bendix.
Neil

 

The 390 flywheel I am planning to use has 184 teeth. The 460 flywheel has 180. Do you think 4 teeth is enough of a difference to require a different bendix than the 9 tooth one that came on the 460?

 

Change of plans. After measuring the hell out of everything, I kept on running into things that might not work. If I use the 400 bellhousing, the shoulder on the spline on the tranny input shaft could hit the 460 pilot bearing, due to the 400 bell being 1/2" shorter in length than the 460. I can space the bell 1/2" away from the block but that changes the position of the bell end of the clutch bellcrank pivot ball and it makes mount cockeyed, requiring moving the frame end of the bellcrank and then I have to change the linkage, etc. I can use a turned down 390 pilot bushing and put it further into the crank, to cure the spline/pilot bearing conflict but then I may not have enough spline length left for the clutch disc to disengage. (Clutch disc is 1" thick at the hub and the spline is only 1 1/2" long, -1 1/4" if you don't count the tapered part at the front. So if the tranny is 1/2" further toward the flywheel, there might not be enough room for the disc to move back away from the flywheel.If that happens the clutch can't disengage. So I am now planning to use a newer ('86 I think ) 460 bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, and starter. I am going to remove the external weight from the flywheel and get it neutrally balanced. And I am going to remove the mounting "ears" for the slave cylinder ( This bellhousing is the type that normally has a hydraulic clutch ) in order to shorten the bosses in the area where the 400 clutch pivot ball mounts on the side of the bellhousing by 25/32". ( this will keep the pivot ball in the right place to line up with the other, frame mounted end of the clutch linkage bellcrank) By doing it this way I can be confident that it will all fit and work so I won't have any surprises when I put it together (I hope ) I know some people just bolt stuff together and it all works, but I've read enough stories about guys who ended up pulling the motor (and pulling their hair out )because they couldn't get it to work, that I've decided to bite the bullet and do it in a way that I think I can be pretty sure that it will probably work .Maybe. I hope.

 

ive used the 400 bell with the smaller pilot bearing before and it does work with the 360/390 flywheel and a diafram clutch. if ya use the stuff from an 80up youll run into balence problems if i remember rite

 

Don't bother looking at a 360 starter, they have 3 mounting holes.

btw: The same starter fits all FE engines from 1963 thru 1976.

FYI:

C5AZ6375L .. 390 Flywheel-184 Teeth / (6) 5/16" -18 pressure plate attaching holes on a 12 7/8" bolt circle.

C5AZ6375K .. 352/360 Flywheel-184 Teeth / (6) 5/16" -18 pressure plate attaching holes on a 12 3/8" bolt circle.

I wouldn't worry about the starter (Bendix) drive, because.....

D6PZ11350B .. Starter Drive (Motorcraft SD302)

Fits: 200/250 // 240/300 // 352/360/390/406/410/427/428 // 221/260/289/302 // 351C/351M/351W // 400 // 429/460.

 

ok Bill you might be onto something here. does the 351m/400 flywheel have 184 teeth also? i do remember one time cuting off the lower bolt hole tab off an old starter and moving it over so it would bring the bendix closer to the flywheel. i think i let that one get away with a truck i sold 20 years ago

 

D7TZ6384A .. Flywheel Ring Gear-180 Teeth

Fits: 1977/82 351M/400 // 1983/96 460.

The first year a 460 was available with a manual transmission was 1983, all previous 460's were C6's.

FTE member Monsterbaby is the absolute guru here on FTE inre to 429/460's.

Any questions you have..ask him.