The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop flywheel position

have a 327 with a turbo 350 that I just went to crank for the first time and the starter got jammed. I may have the flywheel in backwards. Before I disassemble half a truck can one of you tell me the correct alignment of the flywheel. I now noticed that there is a slight offset. Does the flatter part(as compared to the ring gear) go toward th engine or the tranny?

Shim the starter

the local parts store will sell starter shims...start with the thinnest, then try it, move to the thicker. i had one one time that i had to just put a shim on the outside of motor hole...sometimes you gotta play around to get em right.

There's a picture of a flexplate (the automatic transmission equivalent of a flywheel) installation on this page.

It shows which direction the offset goes. It'll really only fit one way. If the starter is jamming against the ring gear, it's probably what the other guys have suggested and needs a shim or two.

There's one other remote possibility. If you've changed the flexplate from a 153-tooth unit to a 168-tooth plate, then you'll need to change the starter, too, since they have to be matched. The 153-tooth flexplate (or flywheel) uses a starter with a straight-across bolt pattern, while the 168 uses a diagonal bolt pattern. As I recall, it's almost impossible to bolt a 153-tooth starter up against a 168-tooth ring gear. But it's been a while since I've messed with different sized gears and starters.

Good luck with it.