Nightmare Finally over!!!!!
Ok so I admit it I installed my 7.4 flywheel backwards. The starter just spins and the gears don't mate up. The question is can I suspend the back of the engine, with the exhaust and water hose disconnected (perhaps other items as well) and pull the bell housing out. It looks dueable but I was wondering if someone has experience pulling in place.

Bob,
Actually, I find it hard to believe that you installed it backwards and could still get the drive coupler hooked up ? Is this the origianl flywheel ? If not, is it possibly one for a transmission mounted starter, they have the starter gear in the wrong position for a block mounted starter ? How about a pic ?

If indeed you do have it on wrong, you should be able to pull the drive off and then the bellhousing off to swap it.

Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

I am almost positive I have it backwards. The gear teath are off-set on the flywheel. They can either be aft or forward. They are aft. The end of the starter housing (sometimes called the nose) is binding with the flywheel teeth and the starter gear throw does not have enough travel to make it to the flywheel gear. The threaded holes for the coupler go all the way through the flywheel. I can see them through the starter opening. Thanks for the input.

perhaps I should suggest amnesty if you respond to my post you can say that you had a friend who did the same thing.

I would agree with Bill. I don't think you can make that mistake. Make sure the pinion in the starter is throwing out as it should.

BTW, I've changed couplers by raising the engine just as you descibed. You can surely do the same with the flywheel.

BT

You can do it but if you have a lift available why would you want to? You have to unbolt the engine anyhow and the few extra wires and hoses to lift it out of the way will only take about 10 minutes to undo and another 10 to reconnect. You'll save at least that much time working with it removed and be able to do a better job. Good luck.

I was going to take the advice of lifting the motor; however the excavator was gone so I had to resort to lifting just the back with a come-along. The flywheel being backwards complicated the clearance with teeth up against the bell housing with the coupler detached but still in place. You can't get the bell/coupler out unless the flywheel is removed (quite a trick). Anyhow it did eventually come out, it was reversed; it went back in easier as the teeth were forward and out of the way. The starter now engages properly and the engine is running. I would not recommend this procedure unless you have no other choice.

Both faces of the mounting flange are machined so they will mount to the crank either way. The coupler will bolt to both sides of the flywheel also. The ring gear will not mesh up to the starter if it's a stern drive application. I'm in the process of reversing an 8.1 flywheel so an inboard flywheel will mesh up with a stern drive starter set up.

Wow, old thread and first post. Welcome.

It would be easier to have the ring gear moved to the back of the existing flywheel.

Thanks for that, I just found this post and found it relevant. Unfortunately the 8.1 inboard flywheel has a chamfered edge right where the ring gear would need to sit. This doesn't allow enough flat surface for the ring gear to grip the flywheel. I'm going to reverse the flywheel and make a spacer to move it out slightly away from the crank so the starter can engage the flywheel correctly.