Ford flywheel question

Hey guys, any reason not to use a 351W flywheel on a 289?
I'm a Buick guy, so this Ford stuff is Greek to me.

 

I believe that you are ok to use any windsor-based flywheel with any windsor-based motor, as long as the counterbalance is correct. Around the late 70's/early 80's Ford went from a 28oz counterbalance to a 50oz counterbalance. Your 289 is an early 28oz counterbalance because Ford stopped making the 289 by the time they switched to 50oz. You can use a 351W flywheel as long as you make sure that it also has a 28oz counterbalance.

 

Thanks for confirming.
Next question: What's up with the 157 and 164 tooth flywheels? I am guessing they each take a different starter like a GM product? A 5.0 bell housing is most likely sized for the 157 tooth? I just don't want to end up with an unusable combination of parts.

Thanks again

 

You can use any 351W flywheel on a 289, both the 157, and 164 use the same starter (they only use different noses for manual, and automatic). The 5.0's in cars usually use the 157 bell housing.

 

Now that is news to me. Looks like more research.
Thanks guys.

 

Ford changed the balance factor in late 1981 to 50oz (from 28oz) most parts will be marked E1 or E2 (1981-1982), starters interchange, I've had 3 c-4's, 1 top loader, and 1 5-speed in a maverick with a 96 explorer motor ,4 of which had 164 tooth flywheels, and 1 of the c4s was 157 tooth, all with the same starter.I think the earlier starters used different noses.

 

289 are 28 oz. balance. The 302 was 28 oz. balance until mid 1981. Then they went to the 50 oz. balance. All 351 are 28 oz. balance.

 

BTTT for a little more info.
I see aluminum flywheels with 28oz and 50oz balance weights marked as 86-95.
What stops me from using this on the 289 with the 28oz weight bolted on?
As for the starter, does the bellhousing dictate which size (157/164 tooth) flywheel is used?
Is a mustang bell with 157 tooth different from a truck bell with 164 tooth?
Trying to wrap my head around how they use the same starter with different size (tooth count) flywheels

 

I did an update on an older 289 to an AOD and had to use a hybrid drive plate (28 oz - 164 tooth as I recall) and seperator plate , so I believe the answer to using the same starter is bellhousing placement of the starter mounting flange differs between 157 and 164 flywheels/driveplates.

Ray

 

The the 28oz balance is for the 351W, the 50oz is for the mid 1981 and up 302's. The teeth on the 157 and 164 flywheels are exactly the same, but the added 7 teeth on the 164 makes it bigger in diameter thus requiring a bell housing that moves the starter further away from the crankshaft centerline than a 157 bell housing.

 

That's what I figured. The bell housings had to be different.
Back to the flywheels...Will the later flywheel bolt up to the older engine?
I understand that the later units are 50oz imbalance and the early ones are 28oz.
What I found is an aluminum flywheel that comes with two different weights that you can swap out.
Let me rephrase this, can I take a late model 50oz (19# of steel instead of 30-40#) and re-balance it to 28oz and use it? most of the earlier flywheels I find are 30# or more, and this is a pretty light car.
Thanks to all for the feedback.
I'm this close to a running project.

 

The bolt pattern is the same, the aluminum flywheel just needs the right weight for what ever imbalance the engine is, you can bolt the late 50oz on a early crank, as far as rebalancing goes I imagine it could be done (I've never heard or seen it done though).

 

This makes sense.
I wonder why they only list it for 86 and newer, but include the 28oz weight?
Interesting.
Thanks for the feedback.