Definitive Fix for Starter Misalignment

[Tom Wells]

Chuck,

Been through the starter-shimming exercise. It was one of the Nippondenso gear reduction units I bought as a "super starter" for the 460 that required a shim.

If it needs shimming and you don't catch it before you try it, there will be no doubt after you turn the key for the first time The thing will shriek like you wouldn't believe. Don't remember exactly, but it took somewhere around 0.040" or so to get it corrected.

Folks will say Fords don't use shims. Not entirely so: some aftermarket starters for the 460 DO require them.

All that said, my favorite starter - which I am currently using and very happy with - is the stock 1993 Ford F250 460 starter. I used the 460ford.com guys' suggestion and bought one. It looks anemic and is lighter weight than the others I tried, but it starts my car hot, cold or in between, without fail - something all the others (I tried a total of four different ones prior to this one) did not do.

Tom

[cwmcobra]

Tom,

I started with a mini starter from Ford Racing and it didn't need shimming. The problem with that one was that I didn't check alignment and it apparently was located too shallow into the teeth of the ring gear. Loaded the tips of the teeth during starting. It worked fine for about 2-3 years, then started making noise and I found the chipped teeth. Went to the Summit starter on the recommnedation of one of our Club Cobra faithful and it worked for a couple of years, even with the chipped teeth on the flywheel. Late last summer it once again started making noise. So, now I'm going to double check everything before reinstalling the engine to develop confidence that it's set up right.

By the way, I tried the F250 starter as well before going to the Summit Protorque, based on advice either on this forum or the 460 forum. Unfortunately, the frame rails on my West Coast are too close together and the OEM starter just wouldn't fit.

Chuck

[Tom Wells]

Chuck,

the OEM starter just wouldn't fit

Interesting. The one I have is the smallest of all the ones I tried. If I can find a part number, I'll post it.

Tom

[cwmcobra]

Thanks Tom. Perhaps I did have a different part. If you can find the number, I'll check it out.

Chuck

[Tom Wells]

Chuck,

Can't find the number, sorry. Did take a few pictures and posted them here:

http://www.firstcoastcobraclub.com/g...avId=x8243addf

Look at the last three photos. The only number I could find on this starter from underneath is 551A stamped on the starter flange where the two bolts go through to the bell housing.

The dimensions - roughly - are 6-1/2" from the bell housing to the end of the starter (including the little bell-shaped protrusion on the forward end of the starter), and a little over 3" in diameter - call it 3-1/8".

Matter of fact it's small enough that when I first looked at it I thought "this little thing can't work." In fact it works better than any of the prior four starters. Just shows size does matter only not in the way I usually think!

The inside of the starter lines up vertically with the outside of the pan rail.

Hope this helps,

Tom

[cwmcobra]

Tom,

Your pictures look amazingly like the first starter I had on the car, the one I bought from Ford Racing. I've put a couple of pictures into my CC gallery. I replaced it with the Summit starter; it was the one that caused the original chipping of the teeth on the flywheel.

Did you buy your starter from a Ford dealer, or is it a rebuilt model from a local parts shop?

Chuck

[Tom Wells]

Chuck,

As best I can recall I got this starter from an ebay vendor here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-F...spagenameZWDVW

BTW it occurs to me that 460 flywheels may have different numbers of teeth depending on whether they are for automatic vs stick-shift. I hope this didn't cause any of your difficulties. I have a C-6 so the above starter worked fine. I don't know if it would suit a stick-shift or not. If you contact that vendor (DB Electrical) they may be able to give you more specific info.

Tom