Okey..have fresh flathead build...motor turns nice...bolt to motor stand....turns nice...i put the starter plate on....tight fit! Motor wont turn!!! Plate rubs flywheel....do they make seperate plates for possibly shift o matic an manual? I cant see what ive done wrong? Flywheel needs to be turned but not warped.....pluse that shudent matter i would assume....an starter plate has a recess lump all the way around it...(definitely factory) if i shave inside or flatten out recess sure it may work but not correct... Can someone please help... Todays day i want to fire it up for first time in 20 years... thanks Derek Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
not enough info.........'49 and later? Is this a tranny adapter you are using? What is the origin of the flywheel, stock or speed equipment? pics would help a lot.
Presumably a late flathead if it has a starter plate...likeliest cause is an early wheel, anything '32-48. Backspacing of ring gear differs and also distance from crank flange surface to clutch surface. Wrong combo will usually rub elsewhere, too, like at the rear oil pump gear plate. Easiest way in general to spot what you have is ring gear thickness, early is substantially thicker than late...I'm at work and cannot give you a number on that or on the other dimension I mentioned.
No adapter plates...all stock parts...im not sure if merc or ford...in new to flathead motors...i got all the parts that were all together...from what i was told.....on a running motor...if i take starter plate off... motor is fine....i notice on inside of plate there is a 1/16 inch groove around it from hitting the flywheel....like if i didnt set flywheel in all way...but it is...nice even space around flywheel all away around block...im really wondering about that plate bein wrong...idk...all old paint on all parts match correctly...i know that means nothing...but assures me they were all together...an it was a old timer friend i got them from... Still stuck Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I will guess its the ring gear to far forward. I had a problem with start plate ,but mine was with a flatomatic c4 trans touque convertor bolt hitting plate. What I did was hack up the start plate till the bolts no longer hit. I just bought a Merc half bellhousing and this starter plate has drag mark on it.
Thats what i was thinking...if i shim...at crank...will i cause problems elsewhere though? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Flywheel bolts too long. Factory flathead flywheel bolts are very short. Also, a late model flywheel can be used on an early block, but not the other way, (if my brain is working today).
Yea....first thing i checked were flywheel bolts..lol...there fine.... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I just straightened starter plate..... an ground starter plate....motor turns freely... i dont know why i had to do that though...gut.f###@k it.....works....i have to take short break...then post video of hope first run.... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
May be the wrong plate, it doesn't look like the one we use here for dynoing the 8BA builds?? Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. Here's a shot of our plate, I believe it is originally from a 1950 Merc!!
And when it comes off stand/becomes acessible, check thickness measurement of ring gear. A thought here is that it might be an early (to make engine swap easier) that marginall cleared, and that a slight change in crank end play from rebuild moved it into trouble. Bolts that are correct can also interfere if the little plate is missing...not much clearance there.
Thanks guys...very much...as i temperally fixed problemvas i stated above....now no spark to plugs....im usingca good coil from my 4 babger....anyone know if that xan b a problem??? An i have a abundence of 12 volt coils....can i use a 12 volt One without doin damage??? Dam i hate beinca newb...comes to muscle cars....no problem....here im a mess....lol Sent from my XT907 using H.A.M.B. mobile app
The ring around the edge of the flywheel with the teeth on it. They suspected that it was rubbing the plate.
You should not have to grind stock parts to make them fit. That H.D. truck starter plate, indented for an alloy rear seal, pairs with your cast iron bell housing just fine. The picture of the rear of the engine shows the bell is not fully seated to the block, and there are no bolts securing the bell. This may have been your problem. Try slowing down a bit, before more damage is done, since you are not familiar with these engines.
Lol...the pic i sent is when i was just about to put motor back on stand...bell was all way on...and fastened....as far as slowin down....i quaddrupple check all things an always work slow...unless im in middle of raod...sn knock on wood...hasnt happened in longggg time.. Thanks very much for noticing that though...if that was the prob you were only one to pickup on that though. Derek... Btw can anyone tell me for sure if im lucky to have a merc motor here?? An approx year if so? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Your engine is a mixed breed; Merc color and intake, truck oil pan, bell housing and water pumps. Only way to know is pull a head and measure the stroke. It could be 100% Merc outside, but have a 3 3/4" Ford crank. (I pulled two like that from Mercurys)
You cannot tell what a late flathead is without measuring the stroke...everything swaps readily, and all sorts of random replacements have happened since 1953. Heads are the only major pieces really marked, and they of course are easy to change. Most engines by now have passed through the hands of both commercial rebuilders and backyard improvisers. Crank is really the only Merc-Ford difference that matters for rodding purposes.
Pistons and crank are Merc or Ford specific, generally everything in the way of bearings, valves, etc. interchanges, and there are early/late valve parts...roughly '49-50m and later, with the early version of the late valves and springs being the common replacement for the later. Mac has the relevant valve distinction online: http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/FH_engine-pics/Flathead_Engine_valve1949to53.jpg
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