I have a C-4 Trans on a 351W. I just changed from the 5-speed to the C-4. With the 5-speed the starter lined up and worked fine. My flexplate is an 1/8" less in diameter than the flywheel was, making for a 1/16" difference all the way around. Therefor only about 1/16" of the teeth are catching instead of 1/8" or so. The result is that it is messing the teeth up on the flexplate and the starter. So much so in one place on the flexplate that it just spins when it gets to the point. I have been told that the bellhousing makes a difference as far as the brand and what starter they machined it to work with. I do not know what brand the bellhousing is because it's not marked. All I know it that it is an aluminum blow proof bellhousing. I can't seem to get a hold of the gentleman I bought it from a couple years ago. The Trans is a Redneck Racing Transmission, but I can't seem to locate a Redneck Racing Company. Any suggestions? I considered machining the ears on the starter to bring the starter closer to the flywheel by a little over a 1/16".

 

Redneck is gone. You need a new stater. Manual to auto started have different throw depths.

 

And different flexplates go with different bellhousings. Make sure you have the right two paired up.

 

So I traced the bell housing manufacturer by the SFI stamp and it's Performance Automatic. I called them and they said this bell takes the starter that I have. So they said check the flex plate. So I called SFI with the stamp numbers and it's not showing up in their system. I checked the measurements against a Scat plate I have and it matches. So I guess I'm to square one of machini g the starter ear to bring the drive gear 1/16" closer to the flexplate?

 

It's possbile. I've seen it once, and it was a SFI bell. There was enough movement in the bolt holes to just grind the alignment hole away from the block. Mine would com out and get stuck engage because the backlash was way too tight.

 

My teeth aren't tight enough. It's only 1/16" but that's a lot when you consider the small teeth we are working with on a flexplate.

 

I know, I had to go the opposite direction you need to. Open up the alignment hole with a carbide grinder and use the slop in the bolt holes to move it towards the block.

 

You don't think the torque of the starter will push it back if you slot the hole to move it in some ? When i went from a T56 to the TH400 i used the same starter with no problems at all but i used a JW Bellhousing & flexplate maybe that had something to do with it.

 

slotting the bolt holes won't help, the starter is aligned off of the Large hole. slotting bolt holes will only rotate starter. I bought a brand new Quicktime bell that would not start, argued up and down with them, they kept saying I don't know what I was talking about, And I had a bad starter and and or flywheel, I trying to get money back from them, I told them I bought it on a XXmonth XXyear, he stuttered and said they would overnight a shield to me, they had a batch of bad stampings. very frustrating!!

 

YUP, that's them alright. That's their MO. And the best part is arguing when they fucking know their are problem children out there. I had to slot the hole on the T56, and that was their bell. I also have a AMC bell here that didn't have a hole drilled. Multiple times I was given rations of shit for their fuck ups. Have I ever said how much I fucking hate selling parts ? It would be one thing to admit you screw up and fix it. It's another to talk down to somebody when you're dead wrong.

 

I have a Performance Automatic Bell with a TCI flexplate. However, I'm starting to wonder if it is primarily due to the kick back resulting from the high timing in the tune. I'm trying to get that straightened out. I had the ear of the starter machined by a friend bringing it in 1/16" and it worked fine until it started kicking back again. The guy I got my tune from had the timing set at 30 for starting and idle. I dropped it down to 17-20 and still had some kick back. My next move is to drop the timing on start down to 12 and the idle to 15.

 

What if he only slots the bottom bolt to swing the starter to the right and up a tad.

 

This is not a GM, which does work like that. The starter gear is in the center of starter. the large round hole moves starter in and out. slotting holes only rotates starter stating concetric. you have to use a flat file and remove aluminum off of the main area of starter to move in closer.

 

"What if he only slots the bottom bolt to swing the starter to the right and up a tad." This is what I Did. The Starter I have is not centered as far as the starter gear placement. It is off center some, therefor when I had the bottom ear machined 1/16" it brought it in 1/16". So now all I need to do is get my timing lined out so it don't kick back messing the teeth up any more. Then I will change the flexplate.

 

Not sure what to say. the holes are already sloppy. the starter holes shouldn't be able to even to touch bolts anyway. Didn't know they made a special off center starter, maybe that's your problem buy a ford starter. I have a 351 with 10:1 compression and locked timing at 34degrees, no kick back. It is common with too much compression or timing to Bump the starter but not kick back starter knocking it out, too much timing will just halt then grunt. I would make sure you have both of the dowel pins in block.

 

If I understand right the pinging sound during cranking is kick back. It didn't seem to do that when it had the flywheel. Just with the flexplate. I want to resolve the issue before I put the new flexplate in and mess it up.

 

Out of curiosity have you tried turning it over by hand with a 1/2 drive ratchet? To make sure there isn't something wrong with rotating assembly

 

It was running fine other than it was rich and needed to be fine tuned. Then I went from manual to automatic and now having issues. I adjusted the fuel because it was way to rich then dropped the timing down. That's all I've changed other than the transmission. So rotating assbly is fine.