6V Starter Teeth

[johnsartain]

Don,

No this engine is pure 218 all the way. As far as I can tell it was likely the original engine for the truck, I think T172, not where I can look at it at the moment. I also have a P18 and a P23 coded engine, both 218's. The flywheel and crankshaft came from the P23. All crankshafts are 4 bolt cranks. I was just noting the length of the starter in saying it was a tight fit between the bell housing and the Oil Filter return tubes. I was speculating that the starter may have been designed for one of the 25 inch blocks

[johnsartain]

Here is the scoop Don and all who have helped. It is a 172 tooth flywheel. I guess my only choice is to find a 146 tooth flywheel unless there is a bendix I can change out to work with the 172 tooth and that starter. An further information anyone can give out can surely help.

Update...

I do have a 146 tooth flywheel on hand, needs resurfaced but looks like it will work. I take it to the machine shop and get it cleaned up and give that a go. Starter teeth seem to mesh much better.

 

Edited June 22, 2017 by johnsartain

[johnsartain]

I installed the 146 tooth flywheel this evening and it did the trick! The starter engages perfectly with the flywheel. If I had found the information that wayfarer had posted prior to setting up the engine and bellhousing, it would have been a real timesaver.

I have to order a 10" clutch kit to finish the job. The other flywheel took an 11" clutch. I know some of you guys are probably saying the stock clutch is a 10" clutch. The 172 tooth was drilled for both so I opted for the larger. I have adapted a NP 435 to fit the stock bellhousing. I am using a clutch and pressure plate for a 1989 Dodge D150 with 23 splines. It was bolted up and working with the other flywheel and here's hoping there aren't any more problems. Here is a picture of the setup so far.

Edited June 24, 2017 by johnsartain
Rotten spelling

[DJ194950]

Maybe you  can take the 146 tooth flywheel to a machine shop and have drilled and tapped for a 11" clutch setup that you already have.

I needed to go the other way-had flywheel that was drilled for 11"clutch  and wanted to use the 10" I already had.

Cost was $40 for the work- 1 hr. minimum shop charge was $40, so it took 1 hr. or less to do.

Worth a look.

DJ

[Young Ed]

40 minutes ago, DJ194950 said:

Maybe you  can take the 146 tooth flywheel to a machine shop and have drilled and tapped for a 11" clutch setup that you already have.

I needed to go the other way-had flywheel that was drilled for 11"clutch  and wanted to use the 10" I already had.

Cost was $40 for the work- 1 hr. minimum shop charge was $40, so it took 1 hr. or less to do.

Worth a look.

DJ

or transfer the ring gears?

[johnsartain]

I looked at that. The new holes would have been half on - half off the flywheel's clutch face. I just ordered the clutch kit. Your good on what you're doing DJ, drilling and tapping a 11" to 10 " works good.

 

[johnsartain]

The Wilson replacement works fine with the 146 tooth flywheel. Closer examination of the 172 tooth flywheel has 6 holes unevenly spaced with 2 groups of three holes to each side. I will easily fit on the 218 crankshaft. My mistake was assuming that it was an original flywheel and would work since it was attached to one of the 218 engines at the time. The block numbers on the engine it was attached was for a Plymouth car but no t knowing which car presents a problem in which bell-housing and starter combination to use. Switching back to the 146 tooth flywheel fixed my issues and it will now work with the Wilson starter MCH-6106 which uses the starter pedal. The other MCH-6101 was about an inch and a half longer and was a really tight fit between the bell-housing and the oil return tube but did not require the foot pedal.

Information I got from the re-builder that I got the MCH-6101 from told me that I could have sent it back where he could reduce the shaft size to fit the bendix for the 172 tooth flywheel. Since I already had a 146 tooth flywheel it was good to go. If anyone needs either I have for sale the refurbished 172 tooth flywheel - $75, new 11" 23 Spline Clutch kit. $120, and a reconditioned and rebuilt 6V MCH-6101 starter for $300. All of these are priced less than what I paid for them, my loss is your gain.

[Greg W 41 Dodge WC]

Jumping on an old string. I’m running a nearly stock 41 Dodge WC. I started having starter mesh issues when I converted to 12V. Both the starter drive and the ring gear are pretty compromised as a result. I bought a replacement ring gear (146 teeth) but it is 3/8” thick rather than the 1/2” that is in the truck now. A little digging and I discovered that the thicker ring gear was used up until mid 1941 and then replaced with the thinner version. I’m going to try using the thinner ring gear with a slightly longer nos starter drive (gears still mesh perfectly). Has anyone tried this in the past? 

[9 foot box]

   You must adjust the starter pinion clearance on the removed starter by screwing the button on the starter switch in or out. I would say that the starter gear isn’t fully engaged to the ring gear when contact is made at the switch. There is a picture and a couple paragraphs in the shop manual, in electrical system, that shows the procedure.