# 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe starter chews up the flywheel

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/1939-ford-deluxe-coupe-starter-chews-up-the-flywheel/133844>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** ford\
**Created:** [February 2, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1939-ford-deluxe-coupe-starter-chews-up-the-flywheel/133844 "2019-02-02T20:55:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RobertDemshick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@RobertDemshick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RobertDemshick)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1939-ford-deluxe-coupe-starter-chews-up-the-flywheel/133844/1 "2019-02-02T20:55:14Z")

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I have a '39 Ford with a 350 Chevy Motor. I have been having problems with the starter chewing up fly wheel. I had a new fly wheel put in within 4 months it started doing it again. Someone mentioned that the engine block could have been manufactured in China and that there drilling and tapping is not as accurate as blocks manufactured in US is this possible? Do you have any possibility of what it could be? I am on my second fly wheel. Year: 1939  
Model: Deluxe Coup  
Motor: 05 Chevy 350  
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**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1939-ford-deluxe-coupe-starter-chews-up-the-flywheel/133844/2 "2019-02-02T21:38:05Z")

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Did Chevy still use starters that required shims in 05?

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1939-ford-deluxe-coupe-starter-chews-up-the-flywheel/133844/3 "2019-02-02T21:43:11Z")

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Sounds like thee should be shims between the starter and the block. The gear teeth should be able to fit a 0.060 inch wire between them when the starter gear is engaged. If they don’t the flywheel gets chewed up.

The block was likely machined in Mexico. That is where the Gen 1 small block (likely the 350 you have) crate motors are machined and assembled there.