Some how, I managed to tear up the teeth on my flexplate. It is pretty trashed. I think that the starter bendix wasn't engaging the whole way. I don't think that you can shim Ford starters, can you?

Anyways, I thought that it would be a good time to swap in one of those '92+ gear driven ford starters.

Do you have to change to a 92+ flexplate, and does the starter fit older motors?

There is a shim for a Ford starter, yes, but it's usually special order.

The gear reduction starters are a bolt in. Don't cross the solenoid at the starter to use the original cable, it will make the starter hang up after you let go of the key.

Run the original cable to batt +, and run a second wire to the small terminal at the starter solenoid from the starter side of the original fender solenoid.

If you pull one from the bone yard, the 3.8L T-bird/Cougar starters will work.

There is a shim for a Ford starter, yes, but it's usually special order.

The gear reduction starters are a bolt in. Don't cross the solenoid at the starter to use the original cable, it will make the starter hang up after you let go of the key.

Run the original cable to batt +, and run a second wire to the small terminal at the starter solenoid from the starter side of the original fender solenoid.

If you pull one from the bone yard, the 3.8L T-bird/Cougar starters will work.

Any particular year of 3.8L??

Like, '92 and newer... whenever they started useing the gear reduction starters. The 3.8 starter on my 5.0 is from a '93 T-bird...