Starter/Flywheel Damage - Help Need Advice

[Jim Holden]

"Before pulling the transmission out get a couple 3 - 4 inch bolts the same size/thread pitch as the transmission bolts and cut the heads off and round the ends to make dowels. "

...and to help you get these dowels out, cut a slot in the end with a cutoff tool so that you can use a screwdriver to back them out after everything is aligned.

[patrickt]

OK, my 428 block, as beautiful as it is, is a service block that was cast in 1974. My starter motor has the Engineering Part Number D0TF-11001-A and Ford Part Number of C4TZ-11002-B. If my block had been five years younger, then it would use Engineering Part Number C8AF-11001-A and Ford Part Number C8AZ-11002-A. I do not know what the difference is. There might not even be any difference to those two starters -- I don't know. Your best bet is to post a thread on the 332-428 Ford FE Engine Forum forum giving the casting date and asking some of the guys on there that have old parts catalogs to tell you the exact part number. FWIW, I have also been told that "all Ford FE starters were essentially the same." But there have also been a load of "flywheel/starter motor" problem threads over the years... so it might be the case that "all Ford FE starters look identical, but they're really not." If there was a really subtle difference between the FE starters, that would explain a lot of threads....