starter woes

[dead_onion]

HI,
I have a 460 in my 75 Wriedt Jet boat.
It is going through starters, and the flywheel is chewed up.
so, a few questions:
1. instead of swapping out a new ring gear on my 50lbs clutch type flywheel, can I just put an automatic style flexplate on it?
2. could crankshaft endplay be causing my flywheel to move excessivley and cause the starter to not connect properly?
If it matters it is a bottom mount starter, no inspection cover, and a nicson bellhousing.
also, what is the deal with the 176 tooth flywheel? all the flywheels I can find are 156, I am using the starter autozone gave me, presumably for a 156 tooth flywheel, could this be my problem? what if i switch to the different tooth count? it says on the bellhousing to use the 176 tooth, why is that?
thanks
Josh

[ONAROLL]

HI,
I have a 460 in my 75 Wriedt Jet boat.
It is going through starters, and the flywheel is chewed up.
so, a few questions:
1. instead of swapping out a new ring gear on my 50lbs clutch type flywheel, can I just put an automatic style flexplate on it?
2. could crankshaft endplay be causing my flywheel to move excessivley and cause the starter to not connect properly?
If it matters it is a bottom mount starter, no inspection cover, and a nicson bellhousing.
also, what is the deal with the 176 tooth flywheel? all the flywheels I can find are 156, I am using the starter autozone gave me, presumably for a 156 tooth flywheel, could this be my problem? what if i switch to the different tooth count? it says on the bellhousing to use the 176 tooth, why is that?
thanks
Josh
1. Yes
2. that would be alot of endplay, doubt it
3. match the tooth count with the autozone starter
If you do not have the thin metal backing plate between your block and bellhousing that is a good suspect, your aluminum bellhousing is 25 to 30 years old, when you get just a little slop in the bolt holes and the dowel pin holes that distance will transfer the location of your starter gear in relation to your ring gear, some boats can run without it some can not, since your replacing your flywheel anyway put one in, 20 bucks at any salvage, I will bet a cold one it cures it......Vic