new aluminum flywheel / stock starter interference

[85cleangtvert]

i just put a fidanza aluminum flywheel in my 88 stang. i started it and it made noise coming from belhousing area. it looks like the weight on the back of the flywheel is hitting the starter as it spins, not by much but making noise. the starter i have is stock. is there another kind i can use or am supposed to use with my flywheel? like a mini starter or something that will give more clearance? or am i gonna have to modify/grind parts of mine off/ maybe use shims to gain the little clearance i need? any of you guys had this problem before?

any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. my 5.0 has been in the garage for months now. i just put a king cobra clutch, aluminum flywheel and driveshaft, arp bolts, short throw shifter, replaced the bad tranny mount and put x pipe with cats.

Thanks!

 

[Jason 302]

I have a Fidanza on my car and there is no way the weight can touch my starter. I also have a McLeod blowproof bellhousing that gives you two different bolt patterns for the starter....one for 157 tooth flywheel, and one for 164 tooth flywheel. Which is your Fidanza flywheel? 157 or 164? I'm asking cuz this could be the "noise" problem if you have the wrong flywheel.

 

[85cleangtvert]

its a 157. it starts and runs and sounds good other than the noise. i am sure it is coming from the starter and the flywheel weight hitting. i put my hand on the belhousing and i could feel it was coming from there. i also see little grooves on the starter from where it was hitting. would a mini starter illiminate this problem or should i just start grinding my stock starter a little to provide clearance? or will it still start if i put shims?

 

[Jason 302]

Well my car being a 93 has the smaller starter, and I have no issues. I still don't see how the weight could hit the starter, but I guess I would try switching to the mini starter. Don't do any grinding on the flywheel or weight, don't want to throw it out of balance.

 

[MT 408 Sparky]

Did you use the corect pressure plate bolts?

 

[94 Cobra 5.0]

You stated in your first post that you just got done installing the flywheel and the clutch. Just to make sure, but did you put the spacer plate that goes between the flywheel and the block back in? If your saying that your starter is hitting that would be the first thing that pops into my head.

 

[85cleangtvert]

if i grind anything off it would be from the starter not the flywheel or weight... yes i put the spacer in that goes between the block and the belhousing. i used the pressure plate bolts from ARP for the 5.0 pressure plates. do you think it will start and engage with the flywheel if i put a couple shims in? it just needs a little more clearance and i believe it wont hit anymore.

 

[Nibbie]

I installed that same clutch in my car and it worked fine. 90 mustang 5.0, If i remeber corectly i think i used the 28oz weight on the flywheel. It should just bolt on with out any interferance. Are you sure everything is installed correctly??

 

[85cleangtvert]

i used the 50oz weight. that is what everyone told me to use. it didnt say in the directions which one to use. how do you know which one to use?

i grinded off the area on the starter i thought was hitting and put it back on, but it still made noise. i then thought it might be making noise bc it didnt have any tranny fluid in it, so i filled it up. it still made noise. i decided to see if it would move so i put it on the ground and moved it out the driveway. i had it in 1st, 2nd and reverse and it was ok. the clutch needs to be adjusted so it didnt move well enough for me to try to go around the block. when i put the clutch in and moved the car it i heard the noise go away kinda and thought i didnt hear it at all for a sec when i was reversing. could it be my throw out bearing or something?

the throwout bearing i used wasnt like my old one. my old one was just a circle shape, this new one is the same but has a point to it kind of like drop shaped. i believe it is to keep it within the two metal tabs. also i bent the metal tabs kind of on the clutch fork that hold the throwout bearing to keep it in place better. should i not have done this? could this be the noise im hearing?

 

[getusummm]

As long as you have the factory 5.0 crank in your engine, then you need the 50oz weight.
Nibbie, if you used the 28oz weight on the factory crank, you need to tear it back down and put the 50oz weight.

 

[Nibbie]

The old steel flywheel had an imprint on it (molded in weight) same size as fidanzas 2 weights, I contacted them and they told me to use the 28.oz weight cuz I guess newer modern 5.0 engines had externaly balanced weights (somthing like that) they said like 82 and older used the 50.oz weight, I know my clutch and flywheel are installed correctly, I never had a problem with my setup and it dont vibrate or anything.

(2 versions of a 302 use an internaly and externaly balanced weight)

 

[mano]

The old steel flywheel had an imprint on it (molded in weight) same size as fidanzas 2 weights, I contacted them and they told me to use the 28.oz weight cuz I guess newer modern 5.0 engines had externaly balanced weights (somthing like that) they said like 82 and older used the 50.oz weight, I know my clutch and flywheel are installed correctly, I never had a problem with my setup and it dont vibrate or anything.

(2 versions of a 302 use an internaly and externaly balanced weight)

u have it backwerds

 

[Nibbie]

oh yes i do have it backwords, I found the weight and its a small one
dont know what i was thinking. i used the 50.oz.