Re: 65 Rambler - Gasoline Geyser - Help?!

["John M. Livingston" <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Haas" <mhaas@xxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 7:15 PM
Subject: Re: 65 Rambler - Gasoline Geyser - Help?!


<SNIP>
Also, it is possible to put a new starter in by yourself. I've had to do it
twice on my American (first time was in a friend's driveway at night in 15
degree weather, second time was after I swapped transmissions). What I did
was fish the starter up from the bottom, put it in the tranny and start the
bottom bolt (easier said than done, but doable). Once the bottom bolt is
started, I went up top and put the top bolt in. If you can't hold the
starter with one hand and start a bolt with the other, you can also install
a stud in the bottom hole (top hole uses a special bolt) and use that
instead of a bolt.
<SNIP>

I've just done it in my Ambassador, it wasn't too bad.  The front passenger
side was up on a jack, and the wheel was off.  From the passenger side I
went underneath and was able to support the starter with my right hand with
my arm braced against the floor then started the bottom bolt with my left
hand.  Now here's my question: What's the "specialness" of the top bolt?
Mine was missing, and the bottom was not extremely tight. Once I got it off,
I could see that some (not all) of the teeth on the flywheel were worn, as
were the teeth on the pinion gear of the starter. I have the starter back
from being rebuilt and it's reinstalled with the exception of that missing
top bolt so I'll need to find one of "those", whatever "those" is, shortly.
Is it something I can find at a local hardware store or is this going to be
more exotic than that?

Also, are all flywheels off of 327's the same? I have one headed my way
(Thanks Jim!) out of a '66 Wagoneer, so it was mated to a TH-400
transmission.  If it's in better shape than mine I'd like to use it in my
'65 Ambo with the BW M10 tranny.

Thanks,

John M. Livingston
1965 AMC Rambler Ambassador 990-H
http://1965rambler.blogspot.com