Headers resting on starter????

Hey everyone,

I am finishing up with the engine rebuild and modification, and the cover on the starter is making contact with the headers. When I went to crank the key for the first time I think it shorted out the starter.

Do they make a smaller starter for the 66 200 ci? Or should I just go to the local parts place and see if I can modify the cover? I am not sure why its hitting, it just barley touches.

Otherwise I have the throttle and fuel systems built just to get the car running, I will make it prettier later.

66 Mustang
3.03 3 speed
3x1 Offy Intake with Webers
Mallory Distributor and coil
6 into 2 headers

Some of the stuff I bought from Clifford's a while ago, the rest I found elsewhere...

Thanks Bill

I haven't looked int it to as of yet, but it looked like one of the newer gear
reduction starters from say a 92 5.8l motor will fit on my 250. If your 200 starter has 2 bolt pattern you may want to investigate further. I know some of the sixes had a three bolt pattern in which case I don't think it will
work out. I was thinking of weight reduction as well as size.

Dale

it'd be cheaper to just not have a starter and find someone around you to pay them a nickel a time to push it to start...

The 250 can use any of the 5.0 or 5.8 starters, but the 200 has a different starter orientation. I haven't tried it yet, but I have heard that the starter from a late 2.3 Ranger fits nicely on the 200.

Thanks guys, i will have to try the 2.3 starter. It does have a 2 bolt patternm and it does weigh a pretty significant amount.

Bill

I will let you know my results.

Jack,

When you say later Ranger, what years are you talking? I need to buy a new starter and I thought the header clearance may be an issue with my setup as well.

-Chris

mid to late 80's 2.3

Can anyone confirm this Ranger starter or any smaller starter that has a one installed on a 200. My '65 ranchero has clearance for the Clifford 6-2 header but I have to remove the header to change the starter. . . next time I would like to swap in a smaller one.

OK, I finally got some time to work on the car. All of the starters for the mid 80's Ranger with the 2.3L had the wrong bolt pattern. So I picked up a starter off an Explorer/Lincoln?Mazda that was substantially smaller, lighter and had another selanoid built into it. The bolts lined up perfectly along with everything else, the problem was the additional selanoid hits the side of the block and prohibits it from being mounted properly. So I am back to the parts strore to look some more.

I will keep you updated.
Bill

I wish I could have warned you- but I tried all weekend. I tried the Ranger starters and they all had the actuator cover in the wrong place- as you found it hits block but the bolts seem like they would line up. I also talked the parts guy into grabbing a few out of the back that looked promising in the picture catalog but none were right. there were a few though that had a three bolt layout and the actuator cover on the right side that looked like they might work, but were out of stock so I couldn't check. Ford only used about 40 starters and half are two-bolt so it wouldn't be impossible to check all of them.

I know a few guys on here actually work at parts stores. . . maybe they can help. I just gave up and bolted my old one back on . . now when it goes bad I will have to remove my header.

Yeah I think i will just go ahead and order another stock one. I might try and use less gaskets on the header to see if that helps with the clearence issue.

Bumer we were both trying the same thing...

Bill

Bummer....scratch the Ranger starter.

The starter for a Ford FE (390-428) is the proper orientation but it may be hard to find a compact version.