Ford noisy starter help?

We have a 390/C6 combo that we were told out of a mid 60's Bird in an 60's F-100, our old dd shop truck. Since we bought the truck the starter grinds loudly like it doesn't engage properly. It ate a couple starters in the last 2 years and now last week the flexplate lost enough teeth it wouldn't crank over. 3 starter later and now a new flexplate later, no change, still grinds the same. Without the luxury of shims like a GM any ideas on how to fix it?
I originally figured the person who did the swap mismatched parts (it is a Ford after all) but now the starter and flexplate is 66 T-bird, I'd think it would be correct. I'd like to figure this out before we ruin another flexplate, not a fun job to change you know!

 

Could the plate that the starter sits in and registeres in be off a bit or damaged? From changing starters every couple of years on the 460 that was in my mom's camper van I think 460's may be a bit hard on starters but the starters were always were relatively quiet and you didn't hear a lot of gear noise when it was cranking.

 

Doesn't appear to be any damage to the plate. What worries me it's the wrong one since we matched the starter and flexplate. Anybody know if there was different starter plates for FEs? If so only Ford would make one close enough to work but still be different.

 

What year of starter and flywheel are you buying as there was a change in 65 to the design that was used until the end of the FE.

 

As in my first post 1966. Of course I have no idea on the starter plate.

 

Just taking a shot here, but maybe the dowel pins that center the trans to the block were left out. This may throw the starter to flywheel distance off.
The starter does bolt to the trans , right?

 

Dowel pins are there. Starter bolts to the ****** plate.
Kinda surprised no one on here has run into this, usally the power of the HAMB you have an answer in 20 minutes tops! Maybe it doesn't happen often seeing as hoe this is the first time I've ran into it with 30+ years messing with Fords.

 

OK I am ***uming that the bendix drive is going in to far on the flywheel and pressing to hard on the flywheel ?
Have you tried any shim spacers to try and get the starter away from the flywheel some ?
I have done that before to get the bendix from grinding hard on the flywheel . I used the thin GM shims and cut the down to use on the bolts to back out the starter some .
Just a thought .

Retro Jim

 

MetalMan, did you solve this problem? If so, may I ask how?

Thanks

David