I turned the key on the chicken last night around 8 after locking myself in the garage for a few days. Turned over just fine but no-start. Advanced the distributor a little, then a little more and got it too advanced... the small 305 starter started groaning like something out of a bad horror movie to protest naturally and then tripped the main CB which shut the whole electrical system down for a few seconds till it reset.
After that it's just tripping the CB as soon as I hit the key so I guess I fried the starter.... OK it's 11 years and 96K miles on it so maybe it was it's time BUT here's my dumb question... anybody having luck with a small 305 starter or can you fit a larger (well regular size) 350 started up behind SLP 1 3/4 headers??? Will another small one take the strain or am I just asking for it???
I have a large starter from the vette motor donor sitting in the garage but I haven't put it back up in the air yet as I'm brainfried today.
Anyway, first I gotta fix this before I can see if the disconnected connectors I found afterwards will fix my no-start condition.

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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 5.0 LB9/T-5/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

I think the dimensions are the same for the 305 and 350 starters, not sure though. My starter fits just fine and it's a stock 305 one and it turns the engine fine also. The SLP 1 3/4" headers don't really impede access to the starter at all.

 

Here's my signature.

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4 bolt 350, 10.4:1 Compression, Edelbrock Aluminum Heads 6085, LT4 Hot Cam /w 1.6 full rollers (Crane), Scat Crank, SLP 1 3/4" Headers, SLP Cold Air Intake, Crane AFPR, 48mm TB, ported plenum, stock runners, Accel Super Ram intake manifold, 95Z #24 injectors, stock fuel rails, T5 Tranny, 3.45s, 9 bolt rear, 4 wheel discs, BFG Comp T/As rear, SZ50s in front, Alston SFCs, ES Trans Mount, ES front A-arm bushings, ES front sway bar end links

 

There's not really enough info in your post to be sure whether that starter will work or not. Here's what to look for.

There are 2 sizes of flex plates, each of which takes a different type of starter. The smaller 153-tooth one uses the smaller starter, and the larger 168-tooth one uses the bigger starter. The smaller starter has 2 bolts of unequal length in a straight line along the rear edge of the block. The larger one has equal-length bolts, the inner bolt offset about 1½" toward the front of the block.

If your starters are the same, they will interchange. If you have the smaller starter now and the other is the larger (or vice-versa), you're hosed unless you change the flex plate. Alternatively, get one of the high-torque "mini-starters" that are now available. I have the CVR one on my 400, it works magnificently. They make them for either mounting style.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."

 

I'll have to go look at each. The chicken was a 305/5-speed with the small starter (about 3 inch diameter). The donor L98 vette motor starter (swag: 4" diameter as it's about 30 miles away at this moment) DOES have unequal length bolts but as it was an automatic and I didn't get the flex plate with it to see what the tooth count was. I just put a moroso pilot bushing in the end of the new crank and bolted up my flywheel and clutch setup to it.
Right now I was just hoping to get it started and worry about a hi-torque if necessary later. I already wasted $20 something on a heat shield that won't fit the smaller starter anyhow... I'll take that back if I can't use the larger one - one of those things at the speed shop like the candy at the checkout counter of the grocery store.

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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 5.0 LB9/T-5/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

OK, that's enough to know what's going on. I missed that fact that you're working on a stick shift, guess I should have read your signature more closely.

All the manual trans flywheels for these cars are the small size. Therefore the Vette starter will not work. It may be a reduction-gear one, a very nice piece, but still locates the drive in the wrong place for your application.

Go to plan "B", get a mini-starter, you won't be disappointed. Like I mentioned, the CVR one I have spins over my 10.4:1 400 easily, much better in fact than the little weenie POS was ever able to do even with the OE 305.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."

 

Thanks for the tip but unfortunately I just decided on a lifetime AZ unit for now at $52 instead of the $159 or so for the cheapest 150 ft lb mini that my local guy could order in 2 days later. I slapped that sucker in last night, spun over just fine.
Checked the distributor and found that in my brainfried state I had lined it up in the wrong spot (couple teeth off)... fixed that, hit the key and it started up immediately. Sounds great - scared all the little kids and the ***** boys in the neighborhood. Still got stuff to clean up but for the moment I'M VERY HAPPY!!!

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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vetteheaded TPI/T-5/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.