quicktime bellhousing for fe and starter troubles

[wrench87]

has anyone installed a quicktime bellhousing on there fe?, if so what kind of starter did you use ?. i have heard that you can not get the starters to work.

[xlr8or]

???? Would like to know more about that. What do you mean by not work?

[Chaplin]

Probably that it won't start

[xlr8or]

Thank you captain obvious.

I have the QT bellhousing on my new 427 but haven't started it yet.

[Chaplin]

Don't bother, he said it won't start

[wrench87]

from what i have heard there is a serious starter alignment issue, i just bought one of the bell housings for my 390 stroker project, i am not at the point of fitting a starter yet. this was on an aluminum shelby block that the problem occured, they swapped it out for a lakewood and all was well. i know of fitment issues on the small block version also.

[RodKnock]

Not that this is a Kirkham-specific issue, but in the technical section of the Kirkham website, a separate starter for the Shelby FE block (versus an original FE block) is listed. Maybe the bought the wrong starter.

[xlr8or]

Wrench,
Any rumbling on what the fix is other than swapping the housing?

[wrench87]

they were using a powermaster starter so that could be the issue?, on the small block it looked like just a little trimming was needed. i was happy to but the quicktime because the lakewood is so big and bulky. that is why i wantd to know if there were any successful installs on a fe.

[Tom Kirkham]

The only problem we have had with the starters is that we have had to cut the adapter about .070 inches to move the bendix drive in closer to the flywheel to get good engagement. We have only used the McLeod or Power Master gear reduction starters. Both of the starters were trimmed the same amount. I am suspicious that the cranks (we have been using stroker cranks) are the problem. The starters need about .100 inches of clearance between the teeth of the ring gear and starter.

[David Kirkham]

I hit reply, but noticed Thomas already answered. Just to be a little bit clearer, you have to use the McLeod starter (or Power Master) to clear the bulged water jackets on a Shelby block.

The last Quick Time I saw was pretty nice. We did have to machine the face of the starter mount down 0.070 to get the right engagement.

Thomas is right, we think it is a crank problem. Lately, all of the cranks we have seen are all sized wrong for the pilot bearings. Maybe they are using a different pilot bearing than the correct FE bearing. Not a problem, but I wish someone would let us know what is going on.

David

[RodKnock]

So, would the Pond block have the same problem?

[Naumoff]

Is it that hard to make something right?

[David Kirkham]

RodKnock,

We haven't used a normal starter in so long that I don't know if a normal starter will work in a Pond block or not???

Naumoff,

You wouldn't think so.

David

[wrench87]

i am just building a 390 stroker and i am using a steel 4.250 crank with a 70's 390 block will i have any issues?

[shelby racer]

I have a quick time scatter shield and a stock starter on my 66 427 side oiler and it works great.
John(;-)

[Excaliber]

I thought I heard sometime ago that there WAS a problem on the Shelby alloy block that would not allow for an OEM Ford starter? Which I suspect, like the Kirkhams, is so seldom used anyway this issue may have dropped out of view? The problem may have been corrected on that block now, the early ones did have a couple of other issues as well (like oil return hole for the rear main seal).

Recently the starter drive went out on my "Mini Torque" starter and I can't find a replacement drive, SO, I put the OEM starter back in. It works mostly OK, unless the engine is hot, shut down, and a restart is fairly soon. In that case the OEM starter just barely turns it over and draws a LOT of current doing it!

[ERA713]

I have the lakewood bellhousing and I'm using the powermaster starter.I also have the 4.125 scat stroker crank and 66 427 block.had to carve on starter quite a bit for gears to mesh properly.I thought it was the starter.Its working perfectly, just took a little extra work.

[Naumoff]

Originally Posted by ERA713

I have the lakewood bellhousing and I'm using the powermaster starter.I also have the 4.125 scat stroker crank and 66 427 block.had to carve on starter quite a bit for gears to mesh properly.I thought it was the starter.Its working perfectly, just took a little extra work.

I have a similar set up, but a Scat 4.250. Changed from the stock starter to a Powermaster with no problem.

What was it doing to let you know you had a problem?

[RICK LAKE]

Excaliber Have you looked at other starters and there drives. What starter manufacture unit do you have? Some of the mini's have the same motor and drive gear assembly. You may have a powermaster mini. a tilton will work drive may work. I also run a tight gear to gear clearance of .038"-.045". This gap is at the tightest spot between the drive and flywheel ring. A heavy paperclip should just fit between the 2 gears. Tilton comes with 3 housing shims and 2 motor shims in the kit. I have a lakewood bell housing centered to the block. So far no problem and good gear contact on the flywheel. With your OEM starter, there is a kit, think it is called hot start, that comes with a relay and a wiring harness. It supplies more amps to the soleinoid of the starter. There are light duty and heavy duty ford starter soleinoids that mount on the fire wall. I am running a Sorison blue top. Its for heavy duty trucks with an "I" and "S" terminal. If you don't like the color, spray it black. Have you tryed to rotate the main battery terminals in the soleinoid. They get cooked over a 150 starts. with 600-1000 amps on the first contact, it's like welding in there.Just a thought. Rick See you are alot happier with your new motor and the small cam.