Super Strange: Starter does not fit

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Here's the scenario: My friend Chris and I pulled the motor and trans out of my 84 Targa today. Waiting to go in was a fresher 3.2/915 combo from another 84, which I pulled last year.

On the donor, we pulled the trans to check the clutch, then put it back together and trans is nice and snug. We pulled the starter motor off my original motor and went to put it on and... drumroll....

it doesn't fit!!!

the starter seems to be too big to fit in the round window on the trans. It fits perfectly in my origina 915, but doesn't seem to want to go into the new trans.

Thoughts?

[JP911]

That's odd as the same Bosch starter was used from 74-89. Any chance the starter on your original 915 was a non-factory unit or a newer 964 or 993 part that required modification of the trans housing to fit? It's a stretch, but could explain it.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I wish, but we tried another starter and it wouldn't fit either.

I'm going back with a new hi-torque starter and a core that we can dismantle to get a better sense of what's happening.