turbo-minivan

hi all, im building a vintage style speedster with an 86 13b, and an 86 turbo 5 speed trany. i cant use the 86 starter in its stock location because it will be in the way of where my pedals need to be, so i am playing with the idea of using an old Rx2/rX3 top mount starter. the style with the flat square 4 bolt mounting pad, that bolts half to the bell-housing and half to the motor.
i cant seem to find any solid info on these early starters. i hear that there are some that were very large, and others that were much smaller. also, i dont know if this style im looking for is off the auto trany or the manual trany on the early cars (1972).

i know ill need to mod my later bell-housng to accept a top mount, and ill likely need to shim it about half an inch higher with my bigger flywheel, but any info on these old starters would be great so i know what i should be looking for!! (ideally the smaller one that i hear about)

thanks!!

turbo_dave

iTrader: (50)

I believe the older bell housings(70-73 twin dizzy) that accept the top mount starter are different bolt pattern to any 74- newer bell housing.

jozeyrx7

iTrader: (2)

i have seen some people use the starter motor parts from a 20b engine (possibly also 13b RE), with the Automatic bellhousing, in the stock position they are a low mount starter but turned 180 deg to sit near the spark plugs instead of in the trans tunnel.
adapter will still be needed to fit the auto bellhousing to your trans

crazy looking car btw, isnt the idea with these to build the car around the motor? just move some things around and could maybe find a way to clear regular starter

turbo-minivan

^ haha, trust me, there is no way to move thing around to fit. shes tight!
im not concerned about the bellhousing i have. i have no issue hacking it up and re-fabricating a hole/bolting flange for the top mount. what i need to know is were thee truely 2 difforent top mount starters? a small one and a big one? and what would i search to find the smaller one that i read about??
also, it seems to me that the top mount starters on the early cars (71-73 RX-2/3) were only on the automatic tranys?? or did the manuals get them as well?
i just need to locate one, the rest of the fab work wont be bad for me.

anyone know?

turbo-minivan

ok so rockauto.com shows that the top mount starters were the same between 71-73 BUT it give a different part number for the auto one (PURE ENERGY 16496) vs. the manual one (PURE ENERGY 16495).

or the ACdelco....

-AUTO- ACDELCO 3361317 {#19135171} Professional; Remanufactured
Automatic trans.; Unit Mfr: Mitsubishi; kW Rating 2.0; Offset Gear Reduction.


-MANUAL- ACDELCO 3361316 {#19135170} Professional; Remanufactured
Standard trans.; Unit Mfr: Mitsubishi; kW Rating 1.0; Offset Gear Reduction.

looks like the only difference is the KW rating. and perhaps the tooth count to mate to the flywheels? if the autos and manuals had different ring gears??

also, anyone know why the starters seem to have gears in them rather than just one like most?

turbo-minivan

never mind, i have to abandon this idea because with the 13b and 5 speed, the starter would end up right where the slave cylinder needs to be. oh well, guess i just have to cut up the bell-housing a different way and stay with the 86 starter and relocate it.
thanks for the reply's though.

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

That's good because the one I have is huge and I doubt it would fit next to the SC on top of the engine anyway.

turbo-minivan

i got it figured out. i relocated it to the upper passenger side.

mattallac

iTrader: (7)

nice job , there is more than one way to skin a cat .

turbo-minivan

when your hot-rodding, there is often ONLY one way to skin a cat... make parts yourself. haha.