Hello I have a question on what flex-plate I should use on my 71 Toronado. The one that is one it has been eat up by the mini starter to where it will not start. I have made an appointment with a shop to drop my transmission and replace it and also use the original starter. I have gone threw the motor completly and it has approx. 500 HP.I have put so many HP parts in the car I dont want to cheap out on this part even though its no race car,it does have alot of torque. I want to make sure I have the best Flex-plate so not to have this trouble again. Could any give me advice on a specific flex-plate that will work with my 425 Hydro matic ,automatic transmission. Its going in the shop the 24th so I have just a few days to order it.

 

Anyone have any advice?

 

I'm not understanding why a starter chewed up a ring gear, unless it wasn't properly shimmed. I'm a fan of the mini high torque starter, especially for high compression engines. No real advice on a flexplate but an sfi approved piece will probably cost a little more but should be a better than stock unit.

 

I purchased the Flexplate from Mondellos and the purchased the ministarter from another company,both said they would work on a Toronado. when I would start the car and it just sounded terrible. Everyone would say that something off . After a couple of months we looked at the flexplate and it was damaged very badly. Thats when I just went back to the original starter,but the damage was done to the flexplate. I still have the original one and it actually looks like new with only 45,000 miles on it. Wish I new of a set up that another Toronado has that worked beside the stock starter. Does everyone with a Toronado use a stock starter.

 

What's wrong with a stock starter? Never had a problem on my Toronado.

 

 

Nothing is wrong with the original that why I am going back to it. Since they do not make a starter for the Toronados other than the Original I guess I have no other options anyway. Just thought a starter with twice the torque and 1/3 the weight sounded good.

 

So what exactly did you install previously?

 

The make of the starter is called SNAP says its a Racing starter. I believe Utah marking on it. It looks like every other ministarter you see but had a plate so you could mount it to a Toronado.

 

I got my car back from the Transmission shop yesterday. The mechanic told me that the flexplate was warped and of course the teeth were in very bad shape.It appeared to me that only half the teeth were in foul shape on the plate and on the other side the inner part of the teeth were ground off but the back of the tooth looked brand new ,like the starter gear barely touched the flexplate,but only on one side.When I put it on it didnt look warped.It was bran new from MONDELLO and it was not a cheap on either....... He just replace the gear on the starter because they were damaged. It starts so much easier now! Before it was so loud even with the original starter that people would cringe like they have never heard a starter like that one. Another problem he found was the bolts were to long that holds the flexplate to the torque converter. However it starts and sound perfect now.