I am replacing the power glide transmission on my 59 Chevy with a TH350 tranny. I have everything together but would like to know I have to replace the flex plate. It is a 283 engine and the starter is bolded to the bellhousing. Luckily the 283 has also treated holes for the starter on the engine block, so I can keep my old original 283 engine. Thanks again for your help Herbert
I don't know the answer to your question...but were I faced with this, I'd try find a TH350 SBC flexplate and carefully compare it with the one on your '59 PG. My expectation is they differ somewhere, but maybe not. Flexplates are not expensive, so getting a flexplate that is known to be correct for your TH350 would be worth considering. Ray
Thanks Ray. The summer is not over so I still drive my Belair.and can not compare. But this would be my second choice
buy a new flexplate, they are not a lot of money pioneer part# FRA112 for 153 tooth 12-3/4"....same as Napa # 6005021.....$36 pioneer # FRA100 for 168 tooth 14"....same as Napa #6005024....$21.99 both are for internally balanced engines like your `59 283
Original 59 flexplate will be 14 inch and will not have the smaller bolt pattern needed for a TH350 converter. so buy that 14" one he mentioned...or re drill yours to fit the new converter.
Most aftermarket 14" 168 tooth flexplates are drilled for both the small pattern and large bolt pattern converters. Make sure you use the correct 168 tooth starter . the original 168 tooth - 14" starters are stagger bolt style with both bolts being the same length . Make sure you match the converter to the flexplate before you bolt it all together.
Thanks Jim. when I checked the internet I saw they have some with 15X teeth and same with 168 tooth .So I need the 168 tooth correct?
Not being too familiar with 283 blocks, check to see if there is a dual pattern for starter bolt up. That early, it might just have the "straight across" bolt pattern. If so, then you would use the 153 tooth flex with that starter. The starter on the left is for 153, right is 168. The later blocks have holes drilled and tapped for either starter.
14" 168 tooth is what you want. It has to be drilled for both the small and large torque converter patterns. The iron powerglide used a large bolt pattern converter, only, so it is not drilled to work with the TH350 converter. they didn't start the 153 tooth thing until later, did they? 1959 is pretty early.
I put a th350 behind a 1964 283 and used a 168 tooth flexplate then realized my 283 didn’t have the staggered hole for the correct oem starter so I got a mini starter from speedway . It bolted right on and works good . There was enough meat on the block to drill and tap the staggered hole but I didn’t have a good starter of that type laying around anyway. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Depends on your torque converter.. If its a large bolt pattern converter probably wont fit a 153 tooth flexplate. most all 168 tooth aftermarket and a lot of factory flexplates are drilled for both. Probably easier just to get a 168 tooth 14" flexplate
No offense ..but be very careful with cheap Chinese one size fits all starters. some dont mesh worth a shit and will fail at the worst possible time.
Have an auto-electric shop swap the nose cone on your starter and rebuild it while you have it out. Get the correct starter bolts, Dorman sells them in their Help product line. Any starter for a Chevy that bolts to a bellhousing has been for a 168T flex plate/flywheel from my experience.
I have no sales affiliation with speedway. Just shared my ordeal. Buy a powermaster or other top quality version. In my mind I want to drive the wheels off of my car but in reality i’ll be lucky to put 2000-4000 miles on a year. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Ok , I will order a new Flex plate. But First I will take out the engine. I believe junkers72 is right about the staggered hole from the oem starter. They are straight across if I remember right
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