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| Ford Racing High Torque Mini-Starter |
Which starter to use is a common question and a common source of frustration for people doing a T5 or TKX conversion behind a Ford Small Block. The difficulty with this is the misinformation in some literature and from the starter manufacturers themselves. It was and still is, very common to read that you need a starter for a manual transmission (M/T).
What really matters is the flywheel size being used.
Small block Fords (260, 289,302,351w, 351c, 5.0L) can accept either the 157-tooth or the 164-tooth flywheel and corresponding bell housing.
Early Mustangs were mostly 157-tooth, but some were 164-tooth wheels used in other Fords and trucks.
Identifying a 157 tooth Flywheel from a 164 Tooth Flywheel
- If your current flywheel is still in the vehicle, remove the starter and look inside.
- If you see the ring gear & the teeth it is a 164-tooth FW.
- If all you see are the teeth then it is a 157-tooth FW.
157-tooth flywheels in front of both the automatic (A/T) and the manual transmission used the same starter. This same starter was also used with the 164-tooth automatic transmission. It is only the 164-tooth in front of a manual trans which used a different starter (3/8″ depth). It is this starter that people end up with which gives them grief.
The local parts store may call out this starter as the starter of choice for a “manual” transmission. This doesn’t take into consideration of a changed or different flywheel.
So it is best to specify a starter for an “automatic” transmission as you will be using a 157-tooth flywheel in the majority of T5/TKX conversions. If you are using original bell housing and it is for a 164-tooth flywheel then you will need the 3/8″ depth starter (see chart).
The Details
As seen in Powermaster’s “Ford Starter Tech Bulletin” there are 2 critical dimensions, the diameter of the registration hole, and the depth of the ring gear.
| Ring Gear Depth | Registration Diameter | |
| 164 tooth, M/T | 3/8″ | 4.130″ |
| 164 tooth A/T 157 tooth M/T & A/T |
3/4″ | 4.084″ |
So what are our recommendations?
| Starters | 157 tooth M/T & A/T 164 tooth A/T |
164 tooth M/T |
| Ford Racing High Torque | M-11000-B51 | M-11000-MT164 |
| Power Master | 3124/9162/9103/9603/9503/9403 | 9604/9504/9403 |
| Tilton | 54-10013 | 54-10018 |
MORE INFO
Additional information:
