Projects SBC question about a starter

Guys, I'm new to the message board and am in a bit of a quandry over mixing and matching parts on a project car. I've got an 80s Chevy 350 with a T-5 (non world class) behind it, in the chassis of a '54 Kaiser Manhattan. The guy who sold me the******* also gave me a bell housing that fit it. Turns out to be a truck version (#3925505) and I have to use - after searching the web - a 3635S type starter that bolts to the housing and not the block. This, after trying to install a later starter and realizing it wasn't going to work.
I'm using a 168 tooth flywheel and wondering if a 9-tooth starter would work with it? Thanks!

 

why can't you use the normal staggered bolt hole starter that's for the 168 tooth flywheel?

 

55 to 72 vintage truck bellhousing works with the 168 tooth flywheel and the truck starter. The later two bolt starter may or may not fit.

 

Try the later starter.. I did exactly the same and my starter that fit the engine block fit right into the hole in the early bell. NO modifications needed.
Maybe I was lucky and Jim is right, it might not work on yours. But mine is perfect.

 

If you have the truck bell housing, does it register properly with the front imput bearing support? If not I have a car bell housing I can sell you.

 

Usually the truck bellhousing thru 67 has the small hole for the bearing retainer, and 68 up had the large hole.

 

Thanks, Guys! My later starter, with the two long bolts into the block, doesn't fit.
I think this is what I need: http://tinyurl.com/ovejts8

 

You could just change the nose on the starter that you have, if you can find an old starter with the proper nose.

 

Thank you for making that clear, I thought there was a change sometime.

 

The truck bellhousing snouts are readily available and are steel or cast iron plus the keep the register to the flywheel right on the money.
That said I have seen guys using the bolt to the block starters grind the corner of the bellhousing that gets in the way enough to clear but personally I'd prefer the bolt to the bellhousing setup.

Using the O'Reilly cheat sheet the starter does use the 9 tooth drive.
They just show the starters and no end piece but you should be able to find one of those easily http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/s...ickup+RWD&vi=1321096&year=1967&make=Chevrolet

 

$50 in stock, yeah, they're not hard to find.

 

Definitely bolt the starter to the bellhousing. I have been using the same truck set up for many years and just had my OG starter rebuilt and converted to a high-torque.

Go to an auto-electric shop, they may have the right one on the shelf and you pay the core charge (usually cheap). Truck 'yards are full of them as well in case you need a core.

 

OReilly's has the core in stock for a mere $15, no searching required.