how to clone a Hemi direct drive starter?

The 67 - 69 manual transmission Hemi cars had a rare direct drive starter. I've heard that they can be cloned from another more common starter from some totally different application, like a tractor or something. I checked the Hollander interchange manual, and there was no alternative listed. Can anyone clue me in on that?

Thanks, Joel

I recall hearing decades ago that they were based on the Mopar flathead 6 starter, which seemed odd to me at the time.
I think that story may have been de-bunked by now, but it may be that they look alike externally.
I would think the flathead or any pre-56 starter would also be 6V.

Why Chrysler went with that on the stick cars baffles me.
Never liked how slowly mine turned over.

I think a have a loose starter off a 265 flathead I'll dig out.

I know its not a clone but I have one of these works great http://www.robbmcperformance.com/products/hemi_starter.html

Need a nose that mounts correctly. The rest is pretty much common. If there is a starter with same nose besides a hemi????

Chrysler put them on three different vehicles on 64 and up. 66-69 Hemi, Canadian built /6 64-66? and 68-71 truck with 361 & granny trans. Hemi has a 9 tooth bendix truck and /6 has 10. I think the Hemi one has more windings too. Not sure if 61 and back will work either, dads 400s in his boat had direct drive starters too.

I went through this a few years ago and created a spread sheet from the parts books. From 59-69 the coil and armature had the same part number. Solenoid was different and heavy duty for the hemi. Most of the internal parts are common. In 66 whether slant 6 or hemi you had the same clutch/gear. Barrels had some different part numbers and probably a common one for rebuild. In the end, the nose piece is what distinguishes how the starter orients and mounts. The Slant 6 will not work. Places starter solenoid in the wrong position. 66 nose was different than 67 up because the hemi flywheel had a different ring gear location in 66, though it is a minor change and folks say either started works.

I used the RobbMC stater on my 66 to keep from dealing with the factory style starter and headers. That said I have a couple direct drive units and I have no idea what they really are. I have pictures on the direct drive style bellhousing. Does anyone have pictures on the OE style bell? That I might be able to tell if the ones I have are slant 6 units of if they have the correct nose cone.
Thanks, Matt

Also talking about the flywheel this is a comparison of a OE 67-69 hemi flywheel vs a new Schiefer direct drive hemi flywheel for a Long style pressure plate. What I could not figure out is why the difference in these flywheels unless the Schiefer unit is for 66 only?
Any thoughts on the new flywheel?
I finally just used an OE 67-69 hemi flywheel with the RobbMC Mimi starter on my 66 to get around any issues. However if I could find out I’d like to know what these other parts fit. Hopefully this does not derail the original thread.

Matt

I had heard that these were very similar to the starters used for Checker Cabs from the 60's.

Lots of great info, keep it coming and we'll crack this nut! Thanks

I have a Hays flywheel I’ll check when I get home but I’m pretty sure it has the thick margin. I removed the 172 ring and installed the 143 ring thinking I’d outsmart the makers but dang the ring is on the opposite sides than the 440 flywheel so a regular auto starter won’t reach the teeth. The Hemi starter ‘nose’ has a scalloped place on one side, where as the /6 and others are just round, at least in my research. I asked Robb if he could make up a starter with the double reduction case and Hemi bendix it he said no. IIRR dads boat direct drive starters didn’t spin fast either, very hard to get running out on the bay when a big ship was coming at us.
Main reason I’m going thru this is I bought that repop $300 positive cable and wires for my 66 Belvedere and I DONT want to hack the ends up hooking to a different starter.

for what it is worth I also bought a restoration cable for positive side and I did not have to cut it to run the RobbMc starter. Just had to move the wires around a little.

Matt

Thanks for that info

Here are some other pictures of the two starters I have, and again I don’t know they are correct. These pictures are setting in a Ansen hemi bell housing that I used on my 66. Maybe this will tell if the nose cones are correct or not.

I will try to post a picture, but the hemi 66 nose has casting number 2642443 and 67 up 2642928

Attached 2 pic of a 66 nose. Notice how the top bolt hole lines up with the boss for the solenoid fork.

Here is a non hemi one probably slant 6.

That’s what I need for my 66, gotta start somewhere

One question is that top hole, the one that lines up threaded? So a bolt come into it from the bell housing?
That will be a dead giveaway if so.
The ones I have are made to bolt down onto the bell, so the hole are not threaded on the starter. If one is on the hemi unit that will be a dead giveaway away from the others.
Matt

Correct, one is threaded.