A story about Chevy small block starters and flywheels

It's information like this that keeps me renewing my support of the HAMB, and of course the "popcorn" features..

 

I have been reading a lot on this subject and glad I came across your post.I'm putting together a drive train.I found a 61 283 bell housing came with the starter and flywheel.

I may want to use another smaller aluminum bell housing with a 1971 350 that I want to mate with a 4 speed Saginaw.

Thanks to you now I know the flexplate still on the 350 engine is a 168 tooth.
with diagonal starter bolt pattern. I see in your post this block should take either.I also have a straight pattern 158 tooth starter. The 283 flywheel is a cast iron heavy bugger
.
In reading I understand the aluminum 3858403 will not allow the 14 inch flywheel that takes the 11 inch clutch plate.
I would need the 12 3/4 153 tooth flywheel to use the aluminum bell housing.What i need to figure out is can and do I use the big nasty flywheel and bell housing and just buy a new 11 inch clutch/pressure plate,and will the bell mounted starter work with the 283 14 inch 168 tooth flywheel.(It came with it) when put it on the 350? or should I get the 12 3/4 153 tooth flywheel and get a 10.4 clutch for it. I'm on a real tight budget and hoping the best deal will reveal which way to go.I cleaned up the cast 61 bell housing tonight. I still stink from degreaser.

If I can't use the 283 parts, I may try to sell them.Along with the flexplate on the 350.I hear the lighter flywheels and clutch will help the engine get easier rev's and boost HP.I thought off the line with the big old flywheel spinning.It would increase torque with all that mass in motion.From what I read, I'm wrong.less is more.I have 150 bucks to spend and was hoping to get what I need and get the dang drive train in the car with good used parts if I can find them..I'm using a 4 speed saginaw with it.That part so far has not presented any problems. I also have to figure out the part number for the motor mounts.This engine was last in a 75 Blazer.
These bottoms should be fine.
So the question is, will the 1961 283 bell housing and starter bolt right up to a 1971 Impala 350 block and is it going to be good to do so. Or should I wait for more cash, buy the 10.4 clutch,pressure plate kit and wait until I can afford the 12 3/4 flywheel.
I'm hoping to have the answer this week.
Another thing I read was on starter bolts. They came in standard and metric and have to be knurled and be actual starter bolts or it won't work.It will always loosen and grind if you don't the correct ones. And all small blocks came internally balanced except the sbc 400 which uses a weight on the flywheel for balance.I am learning more every day thanks to sites like this and people willing to take the time to share this vital info to any backyard or trained
mechanic.Thanks All.Here's some other related info. Tom M.


http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/performance_parts/store/catalog/Category.jhtmlCATID=913.html

http://www.5speedtransmissions.com/gmflywheel.html

 

61' cast bell housing uses a three bolt bellhousing mounted starter and use standard 3/8 by about 1-1/2" bolts. Flywheel will bolt right up to the 350. Bolt all the stuff from the 283 on to the 350 and go. One of the pleasures of the SBC.

 

"With automatics, Chevy starters bolt up with two bolts into the block (on some older manual trannys the starter bolts to the bellhousing)."

Not quite correct. Early automatics also bolted to the bellhousing.

 

Great post ! Thanks for putting all this info together!!

 

I didn't read all the posts so this info may be redundant, but I learned my lesson with this years ago, when switching to an 11" clutch behind my 327.

The standard (10 1/4"?) clutch uses the 153 tooth flywheel, which uses the starter with the bolts parallel to the flywheel surface.

The 11" clutch uses the 168 tooth flywheel which uses the starter with the offset bolts.

My info on automatics is a little sketchy because I've never owned a Chevy with an auto trans, but I believe:

TH350's used the 153 tooth flexplate

TH400 used the 168 tooth flexplate

Also there was a heavy duty starter (installed in SS cars, Corvettes, etc.) which used a cast iron nose, while most starters used an aluminum nose. So if you happen to have a starter with the iron nose, don't turn it in for a core! Run the numbers on it. It might be worth big bucks so some restorer!

 

The best part of all of this, the same rules apply for the Big Block Chevy also, the correct bolts and the front bracket is the answer for success in the long run, use them!

 

This thread is filled with extremely useful info. Thanks everyone. I agree, this belongs in the tech section so it doesn't disappear or get lost.

 

Gents,

Flywheel question. I need a flywheel for my 283 (1967) which will be mated to a 1990 700r4. Which flywheel will work with it? Plus I will be going with a mini starter for header clearance....

Tanks =),
el_bole

 

hello i'am new to this site but glad to be here maybe you guy can hellp me out? ok years ago i put a sbc 350 in my 1975 bronco ( a big upgrade for the bronco) but anyway i do not know what the flywheel came off of but it has 158 teeth have had a starter problem forever,the motor is out of a mid 70's blazer the block has the diagnal starter bolt mounts i asume the blazer had a 168 tooth wheel so i beleve i have some mis matched parts here i need to come up with a starter for a 158 tooth that will mount up to my block useing a standard trans with a 10 1/4 clutch, i have been running a mini starter for the past year but it failed last fall its not meshing any more my teeth look to be ok but a little shined up but i think will be ok?maybe i could find a starter for the 158 and maybe change the end housing so it will mount up? thanks

 

Were there both 153 tooth and 168 tooth flywheels used with starters that bolted to the bell housing?

 

when i take a block to the machine shop i take a starter nose with it, the shop machines the nose to the block ---never have a problem with shims ...

 

In my 45 years of messing with small blocks I have only seen the 168 tooth flywheels used with bell housing mounted starters.

 

UPDATE

Turboglide cars from 1957 thru 1961 used bolt to the block starters. Those starters are cheaply and easily available from rebuilders. They have a three bolt snout that bolts to the block and mates up with a 168 tooth flywheel, and all that I have seen will not interfere with a stick shift bellhousing or an automatic bellhousing. I have used this particular starter on lots of project cars with much newer blocks, dating even into the 80's. Make sure to use the right bolts when mounting the starter. Getting the correct bolts with the right length and the knurled ends that fit correctly into the block is usually harder than finding the starter.

 

Thanks that was my fear. I'm putting a 153 Chevy 4 in my roadster. I want to use one of the older bell housings I have that have the motor mount pads. Mine all have the starter mount. I don't need a heavy flywheel or an 11" clutch so I'd like to run a 153 tooth fly wheel and a 10.4 " clutch.
Options ?: 1. Use a 168 tooth flywheel. 2. Modify the bell housing so the 153 starter that bolts to the block will clear. 3. See if there is a bell housing with mount pads and no starter provision.

Also the information in this post will work for 194 to 292 sixes and 153 and 181 fours. The later 181s with a one piece rear seal would be the same as the one piece seal V8s.

 

Especially with a big inch "small block" and a blower, and fuel pump/mag drive, etc

 

You'd probably have to cut a big chunk our of the bell housing to use it with a block mounted starter rendering it useless for its original purpose.

No bell housings I ever saw had no starter and mount pads. What are you putting it in? You can buy a kit to put 55-57 side mounts on an automatic bellhousing. Might go that route and use an aluminum bell.

Best and easiest solution is to find a 168 tooth flywheel. Even if its for a 11" clutch you can use a smaller clutch plate with an 11" pressure plate.

 

It's going in a '26 Chevy roadster. I'm looking at early pictures of the Spurgin/Giovanine roadster when it still had the Chevy front springs. I've seen several old cast scatter shields that seem to have been cut to use with the later starters, pretty ugly. I have seen 168 tooth flywheels drilled for the smaller clutch. Maybe a light weight 14" flywheel. It's not a big deal. The 168 tooth wheel might even help the 4 cylinder maintain rpm and run smoother. It wont help getting rpm quickly though.

 

I have a 1978 Chevy K5 blazer that has a 350 rebuilt motor in it. The starter went out and we through another in. within a couple of days the bendix drive gear stripped out. We looked at the flex plate and it was chewed up so I had a tranie shop pull the tranie and put a new flex plate and starter in. lasted about a week. Same thing. I don't think the gears are meshing deep enough. No shims because that would put the starter farther away from the flex plate. Need help!!!!

 

You could use a "mid plate" sandwiched between the block & bellhousing , that would give you a block mount starter w/ a compatible bellhousing... however , the stock mount points on the 153 were closer to the center of the block that the front , unless your just going to mount off the front of the block..

dave

 

If you put 1/2 of a shim on the outer side it will roll the starter in tighter to the flywheel.

 

I have tried the 1/2 shim trick before on a '73 pu I once had. It was a starter eating sob. Reinstalling the little bracket on the front helped more than anything, but I never did solve the problem completely,

 

excellent info, I've been having trouble with the starter on the 350 in my 49 chevy, now I know what to check. thanks