flexplates

[loudgary]

on a new internal balance 168 tooth flexplate since both sides look about the same should the side with the sfi sticker go toward the transmission?

[us7race]

That is the way mine went on..

[hammertime]

Both sides shouldnt look the same ? The center of the flexplate should tapper in and out ? Yours does right ?

[jmarksdragster]

Look at the area where the converter bolts up, the raised side goes to the converter.

[bjuice]

what you should always do is put the plate on as you think it should go ..finger tighten the bolts and pull out the starter gear to make sure it engages fully into the flex plate ring gear...
the ring gear on the flex plate is off-set to one side...place the plate on backwards and the starter gear will not engage the flex Plate ring gear properly..

its a good rule of thumb to do this no matter what..some starters have to be shimmed irregardless.
Brian

[loudgary]

gonna check all this tonite as the problem has been the starter teeth grinding on flexplate no matter how we shimed it. tried both staggered and straight bolt pattern starters.just when we thought we had it shimed right it would crank once or twice then start grinding the teeth again. thanks guys for all the info.the engine is a 505 stroker bbc.

[zipper06]

gonna check all this tonite as the problem has been the starter teeth grinding on flexplate no matter how we shimed it. tried both staggered and straight bolt pattern starters.just when we thought we had it shimed right it would crank once or twice then start grinding the teeth again. thanks guys for all the info.the engine is a 505 stroker bbc.

I've got a couple of SFI flexplates in stock, i'm going to take pics tonite and post them. Who know which side the Manf. puts the SFI sticker, i'll show you which side goes to the crank and which side faces the converter.
You may not read this until fri am but you will know what has to happen to make it work.
It is absolutely necessary that you shim the starter correctly. To do this put a 1/8" pin between the starter gear and the flex plate gear when you pull the starter gear into the flex plate with the gear ingaged.
The next post will show the proper side of the flex plate to the engine.

Zip.

[zipper06]

gonna check all this tonite as the problem has been the starter teeth grinding on flexplate no matter how we shimed it. tried both staggered and straight bolt pattern starters.just when we thought we had it shimed right it would crank once or twice then start grinding the teeth again. thanks guys for all the info.the engine is a 505 stroker bbc.

I've got a couple of SFI flexplates in stock, i'm going to take pics tonite and post them. Who know which side the Manf. puts the SFI sticker, i'll show you which side goes to the crank and which side faces the converter.
You may not read this until fri am but you will know what has to happen to make it work.
It is absolutely necessary that you shim the starter correctly. To do this put a 1/8" pin between the starter gear and the flex plate gear when you pull the starter gear into the flex plate with the gear ingaged.
The next post will show the proper side of the flex plate to the engine.

Zip.

And here they are,

The first photo shows the proper side of the flywheel to the trasmission, in this case the manufacter put the SFI sticker on the Transmission side of the flywleel.
It is the side where the raised mounting pads always are. The second photo shows the depressed side of the flywheel, they always go to the engine side.
Donot always count on the manufacturer to put the sticker on the trans side. i don't think you can go wrong if you have followed the above instructions, i haven't in over 50 yrs.

Zip.
http://img31.picoodle.com/img/img31/4/1/10/t_flexplate1m_3794e62.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/4/1/10/f_flexplate1m_3794e62.jpg&srv=img31)


http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/4/1/10/t_flexplate2m_01ab653.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/4/1/10/f_flexplate2m_01ab653.jpg&srv=img37)

[cepx111]

NOTE: After shiming the starter correctly I always put that mount that everybody tosses or is missing on the end of the starter that holds the starter square and keeps in from shifting.
You mentioned that after shiming the starter and cranking the engine a few times the starter is grinding again, well whats happening is that the starter is moving out of position horizontially which is what the rear support bracket is there to prevent. if you dont have one you can fab one up out of some 1/8 inch angle iron and your grinding problems will go away.
Goodluck >< Cp

[bigstu]

Just last year I put a used tilton starter that I hadn't used for a couple of years, and when I installed it, it would do the same thing regardless of how I shimmed it. What was happening is when it kicked out and turned the engine over, it wouldn't retract as though it was stuck in the flywheel, but it wasn't actually stuck. When I took it out of the car and tested it with a battery and cables, it would kick out and stay that way until I pushed it back in. I went and bought a new starter and problem solved. Now, if you're using a new starter, then disregard. fyi..........

[thetanman101]

Just last year I put a used tilton starter that I hadn't used for a couple of years, and when I installed it, it would do the same thing regardless of how I shimmed it. What was happening is when it kicked out and turned the engine over, it wouldn't retract as though it was stuck in the flywheel, but it wasn't actually stuck. When I took it out of the car and tested it with a battery and cables, it would kick out and stay that way until I pushed it back in. I went and bought a new starter and problem solved. Now, if you're using a new starter, then disregard. fyi..........
Had this happen to me once. Turned out that's what it does when you put power to the wrong positive post. Just FYI.

[bjuice]

also another note..once you spend the one time charge for the mini-starters..most of your local altenator/starter mom and pops store can rebuild these starters for next to nothing..i have done this several times..which included new gear,brushes etc...

always make sure you run you a jumper wire,,and there will be no postive post mix up..

i know these things are high...just wanted to share this.

brian

[dak697]

I showed up at our shop one night when we put together the new car.. and it had a noisy starter. The guys shimmed it with a little and a lot made no differnece and even made it worse.. I sat there and said I knew a quick fix and that I could make better...

I put a 3/8" washer on outside bolt between the block and the starter.. Tightened up the inside bolt 1st and then the outside bolt...spun the motor over with no noise.

I do not know why this happened to blocks and starters but I have seen it on race cars and my own personal 1 ton.

If the starter does respond to the fix the problem is that the starter is too far awy from the flex plate. I take the starter off and file the starter down .you really cannot file too much because you can always shim it back

good luck

[loudgary]

thanks for all the replies guys. feel like a complete moron but had flexplate on backward. no more budweiser for me when putting something together. thanks again.

[hammertime]

thanks for all the replies guys. feel like a complete moron but had flexplate on backward. no more budweiser for me when putting something together. thanks again.

Not the first time or the last :lol:

Helpfull tip on most new flexplates, if they are powdercoated take a grinder to all bolt holes and get rid of the powdercoating, myself and several others have been bit by bolts going loose !

[bjuice]

I also use the ARP flex plate bolts and i also use some BLUE lock tight...

havan';t had one come off YET :roll: