Wits end.....Please help

[BobbyFord]

If I'm understandig it correctly, I would say there's no problem there.

[Doug Comer]

Bobbyford, Thats what I was afraid of. Should I retard the timing more? I've always wanted to go vacuum advance distributor, are there that many advatages (gas mileage, performance)? I asked the man who built my motor if I should change to vacuum advance and his reply was why change if it was working, something like that so I thought it wasn't a big deal. I ordered a flywheel ring gear from Ford dealer today, should be here by weeks end. I always run 91 octane too. Thanks for the reply.
Doug

[BobbyFord]

Bobbyford, Thats what I was afraid of. Should I retard the timing more? I've always wanted to go vacuum advance distributor, are there that many advatages (gas mileage, performance)? I asked the man who built my motor if I should change to vacuum advance and his reply was why change if it was working, something like that so I thought it wasn't a big deal. I ordered a flywheel ring gear from Ford dealer today, should be here by weeks end. I always run 91 octane too. Thanks for the reply.
Doug

I don't know about your timing. I always check total advance and go from there. The 390 in my '63 is at 16 degrees initial and my 460 is about the same. I have stock starters and stock flexplates in both vehicles. I believe your problem is the hi-torque starters.

[Doug Comer]

I am unsure of all my stuff lately. I wonder if the high torque and unfortunately high dollar starter has so much torque that when the compression comes up, it just finds the weakest link (the teeth) and destroys it. Kind of a loaded question, do you think a stock starter would work or would a bottom of the road power master be a better choice? Thanks Bobby.
Doug

[Doug Comer]

Installed a Ford ring gear and bought a starter from Autozone. Just got it back together, we'll see how long it lasts.
Doug

[Fordnatic]

Is it still working?

[Doug Comer]

Thanks for the inquiry. So far so good. The sound the starter makes when it engages is much smoother sounding. Seems to be ok . Keep your fingers crossed, It usually does it within two months.
Doug

[jeff-1969-f100]

I fixed a 460 for a friend that was having the same kind of problem. The starter hole in his motor plate was too big. Your starter should have different size holes in the top and bottom. The top hole is the right size for the 3/8 bolt that goes through it. The bottom hole also uses a 3/8 bolt, but the hole is oversized to allow the starter to pivot a little. The only thing that positively locates the starter in relation to the flywheel is the motor plate. When you place your starter into the hole in the motor plate and insert the top bolt finger tight, can you still move the starter from side to side? If you can, the hole is not properly holding the starter. The way I fixed my friend's was to plug the bottom hole with a piece of 1/2" aluminum dowel and drill it with a 3/8" hole in the correct spot. This forces the bolts to hold the starter in place. The only sure way to check for proper starter engagement is to paint the starter gear with Prussian Blue or valve dye and install the starter. Spin it over a few times and remove the starter. You should have a good contact pattern at the middle or bottom of the starter teeth. If the pattern is only on the edges, your gear is not properly engaging. I'd check that first, hope it helps.

hey bud. I ran into same problem with a 302 back a few yrs ago and it turned out to be the plate between the trans and engine. every time i would start the engine the starter would kick over to one side and it wouldnt take but a few weeks to destroy the flywheel. i would fly in there put another flywheel and starter on and wouldnt even look at anything else. my dad (who had lots more patience than i) was out there on my last swap and just simply ask me to slide the plate out for him to look at and yep it was shot!

[jeff-1969-f100]

hey bud. I had the same problem with a 302 back a few yrs ago and it turned out to be the plate between the engine and trans. when the engine would crank over the starter would kick to one side and it wouldnt take it long at all to destroy the ring gear. So i would fly in there and swap the flywheel and starter and not really look at much else until on my last swap my dad (who had alot and way more patience than me) ask me to slide the plate out from under truck so he could look it over and yep it was shot! so without saying really i take a little more time these days to investigate!

[BobbyFord]

[BobbyFord]

Sweet. Glad alls well...

[akuma10408]

hey bud. I had the same problem with a 302 back a few yrs ago and it turned out to be the plate between the engine and trans. when the engine would crank over the starter would kick to one side and it wouldnt take it long at all to destroy the ring gear. So i would fly in there and swap the flywheel and starter and not really look at much else until on my last swap my dad (who had alot and way more patience than me) ask me to slide the plate out from under truck so he could look it over and yep it was shot! so without saying really i take a little more time these days to investigate!

Just curious, what was wrong with the plate? How did it look?

[fordman]

from what i learned small block plates arent all the same. and some plates locate the starter at differnet places for different enigne transmission and van car and truck applications. it seems to me that the botls that hold the starter in will keep the starter mainly in postion and only let the starter move a little to let the teeth eat each other. the center hole is a good main stay of where the starter is suppose to sit for each application. so if his plate had the center hole for the starter nose cone oblong or worn some to one side because of loose bolts or whatever. that is what would have caused his flywheel and or starter to get eaten up or not engauge properly. now if he left it alone long enough withthe starter moving more nad more. it could have ate into the bolt holes in the nose cone elongatign them also and letting the nose cone hole in the engine plate get even larger. so his plate probably looked either rubbed on or worn and not a perfect circle anymore.

one way to tell if the hole is worn is to put the starter in the engine plate hole and try to move the starter up down and sideways to see if it moves around. if it doesnt move then bolt the starter in. the plate is good enough to reuse. if it does move in the engine plate then the plate is worn and needs to be replaced.

[Doug Comer]

The plate looked good. I measured it with a dail caliper and found the hole was out alot bigger than other plates I had so I put the one in with the tightest fit.
Doug