My brothers 62 Impala has a factory 327/ 4 speed. He has the factory bell housing and the starter bolts to that. He has the X frame headers on her which makes the stock style starter a tight fit. His block is also set up for the later style starter but no matter how you shim it, it sits crooked and does not mesh the flywheel correctly. We almost think someone may have tried to adapt the later style to the this block and did not get things squared up right. The bell housing starter works perfectly ,but like I said its a tight fit and the exhaust heat is hard on them. So has anyone found a smaller alternative? Larry
probably the big flywheel, if it uses that bellhousing and the three bolt starter, eh? If it has all three holes in the block, then it might be possible to use the small flywheel and a 10.4" clutch and that would move the starter in enough to clear the exhaust?
Robbmcperformance.com makes the best mini started I have ever used. The solenoid can be clocked anywhere. Excellent quality. More pricey than most, but you get what you pay for. Bill
Robbmc also has an option of a nose cone, similar to an OE type starter, that I would recommend. That prevents the deflection of the gear drive when starting. I don't like the mini starters, where the gear just hangs out in mid air with no support, and sound like meat grinders. Bill
I don't know of ANYONE that makes a mini-starter motor for the bell-housing mounted style of starter motors. Unless something was not machined true, and that's hard to believe, then a block mounted starter motor or block mounted mini starter motor should bolt to the block and engage the flywheel. The flywheel/flexplates with bell-housing mounted starter motors, is a 168 tooth one. Normally, you can switch to a 153 tooth flywheel/flexplate, BUT, you have to remove the lowermost/inwardmost starter motor mounting hole/boss on the bell-housing (big hammer, hacksaw, O-A torch, plasma cutter all work well), but it then somewhat ruins the bell-housing for use in a restoration type build. If the car had been a 63, none of this would matter, because they all (cept' for trucks!) went to a block mounted starter motor. With the 62, I'd be making some sort of heat shield for the starter motor. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
he said the original type starter works fine when it's bolted to the bellhousing, but when he bolts a different starter to the block, it won't line up right
IMI makes a high quality indexable small body starter, I have one on my roadster engine. I have an AC/Delco on the 327 in my Nova, manditory with big tube headers. Powermaster also has good starters. Many options here: https://www.google.com/search?q=imi...=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHyYWayaXpAhUI
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