how many teeth on your flywheel???

[rubes]

was just reading thru the "mini starter" thread,and see that one of the vendors states that his starters are for 153 tooth flywheels. Made sense to me as I know chevy flywheels were 153 or 168. Just out of cutiosity, I counted mine (both the original one, and the JW I got from Nick Micale) and was surprised to find 160 teeth. what gives? was Buick wierd again and didnt use a standard wheel? could it be why the starters aren't holding up? but I would think the gears would get messed up more than the starter itself. Anyone else count the teeth on their flywheel, or just assume like I did?

 

[puddinpower]

You are right, The Buicks have a 160 tooth flywheel.

Puddin

 

[49-blues]

So it looks like either way we are 7 or 8 teeth off?

 

[Blown&Injected]

Stock = 160
"The Wheel" = 160

I think that is the way they came in 1986, special flexplate (the X160) and good lookin' grill

 

[Ormand]

So it looks like either way we are 7 or 8 teeth off?

Again, let me point out- THIS IS NOT A CHEVY! There were two different flywheels in chevies, different diameters, and there were corresponding starter offsets to make them mate up. The holes that are staggered or in line are in the CHEVY BLOCK! Chevies are NOT the standard of the world. Flywheels have whatever number of teeth the designers thought was appropriate, and the block is machined to put the starter in the right spot to match that flywheel. The 160 tooth flywheel would be the wrong size, and the wrong balance, and would cause lots of other problems if you tried to put it on a chevy engine. But it works just fine on a Buick, and it is RIGHT, it is not off by 7 teeth or 8 teeth.

 

[Pronto]

So how do the small Chevy starters work with out grinding?

 

[Bob Davi]

I am glad to see this thread. I had a flywheel crack about six months ago. I could not believe the trouble I had getting a new flywheel at the parts stores. Some had NO listings for a turbo specific, ie, 3.8 Turbo. I called to a lot of the well known names in the Buick turbo community and got as many different answers on my question. Some said it HAD to be for a turbo, and others said any V-6 Buick flywheel would work. I finally got one, but I am going to go and count the teeth now, brcause ever since I have had this car, with three different starters, it cranks with an awful sound; like nothing I have ever heard. I need to find a few Turbo cars and have a "start" fest to see if they all sound this way.

Bob