135 tooth flywheel

[joe10]

I just bought a mustang mini with 2.3. The man told me the starter needed to be shimmed. It makes a grinding noise and spins slow. The starter looks like it is the right distance from the flywheel. Im wondering if I used a older starter it would fix the problem. I currently have a 135 tooth flywheel and a 3191 starter.

[TM 44]

Do you have the flex plate between the block and bell housing? If not, no matter what starter is on it, there will be grinding. You can go to autozone and find out what year the 135 tooth flywheel is, and then just get a starter for that year. BUT you must have the flex plate also....44

[boportt]

flex plate? aint that the thing usd on auto trannys?

[TM 44]

it may be called a flex plate(flywheel) for an auto trans, but I am talking about the flexible plate that goes beteween the block and bell housing. You know what I am talking about....

[Dirtman29]

The 3191 starter is for 89-93 2.3L w/T5 trans. Maybe the wrong starter? What trans do you have? I have never used the mid-plate in any of my mustangs, just 1 starter shim & it never grinds.

[dave41]

it is really a starter alignment plate. starter has a collar that goes inside hole to align distance to flywheel from bendex. people get real and think.

[Dirtman29]

I think my way works, I have had no problems in 4+ yrs. Maybe just lucky...

[dave41]

millions of dollars spent by ford on research and they aren't right.

[joe10]

135 tooth

I went to autozone to try and figure out which flywheel i have and they said a 2.3 never came out with a 135 tooth. I am using engine plate.

[Dirtman29]

Not going to argue dave. You do it your way, Ill do it mine. Apparently both ways can work.

joe10, I believe its a 132 tooth flywheel for the 2.3L. Try 91-96 escort 1.9L its the same tooth & diameter but its 6# lighter.

[supertruck]

135 tooth flywheel

You don't say how much the 135 tooth flywheel weighs, but in my limited experience the only 135 tooth flywheel I've seen is one from 10,000 RPM or Goldstar. I had the 10,000 RPM piece and never could get a starter to work - and I tried them all, with and without the spacer plate. In fact the 10,000 RPM flywheel actually flexed when it made contact with the starter. I ended up going with the stock Escort with 132 teeth. Much heavier but at least it works.

[longhornracer]

the 135 tooth flywheel is off a 74 pinto with the 2.0 the same ring gear all the racing flywheels use. ibut the starter should have no issue with a 132 or 135 either way. i think u need the shim plate betwen the block and bellhousing

[joe10]

135

I used the plate and also tried the shim with the plate. But I was using the 3191 starter. Im going to try the old starter soon as I can order it and see if thats the problem.

[joe10]

I took the engine out and it has a esslinger aluminum flywheel. Anyone know which starter would work with it? I tried to call eslinger but could not get response.

[longhornracer]

i have the 92 ranger starter on my aluminum goldstar flywheel with no probs