VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1965-1970 Starter vs Flywheel size???

I'm putting a 305 SBC into an old F*** using the F*** transmission with an adapter. The engine came with a starter with STAGGERED mounting holes and a 168 tooth flywheel and 12" clutch. When bolted to the engine, the starter sat about 1/4" too LOW for the starter hole in the adapter. I figured that a 153 tooth flywheel would allow the starter to be moved up to fit the hole in the adapter and that a STRAIGHT hole starter end casting would be the ticket. All the starters I've seen have the STAGGERED mounting holes, but today, I saw a STRAIGHT hole starter end casting and it looks like it drops the starter centerline down farther? What starter do I want to use with my smaller flywheel? Thanks for any help here!!! (By the way, the block is tapped for both starter mounting patterns.)

Never mind. I found out that the STRAIGHT mounting hole starter is for the 153 tooth flywheel. It mounts the starter substantially closer to the centerline of the motor than does the STAGGERED mounting hole starter. What had me confused is that the straight hole starter is also mounted lower than the staggered hole starter. The adapter I have with the higher starter mounting location is designed to use an EARLY starter that mounts on the bell housing and not on the block along with a 168 tooth flywheel.