howdy my name is tyler and I just bought a 1977 f150 ranger and it has a 74 351w from a car and a c6. the starter started grinding it would crank and then lose contact with the flexplate, so I pulled the starter out and checked bendix teeth and they are worn down. I went and got a starter and when I went to put it oni found that it would not go in all the way where that plate is between engine and trans it's just a bit bigger in diameter.I guess where I'm getting at is are the car starters slightly smaller than the truck starters and what starter will work

 

sounds like u got one out of a junk yard, my guess would be yes, the starter is matched to the bell housing so if the other car had a totally different bell housing (plate between eng/trans) then you might could have a problem

 

I got a starter from advance auto but I got one for a truck it's slightly bigger than the old one so I will try to return and get one for a gran torino with 351w maybe?