To add to what John has said, the two starters have a different pitch for the bendix teeth which in turn requires a corresponding pitch on the starter ring gear.
Here’s some additional info regarding Y starters: Starters for 1964 and earlier FE’s fit the Y. The starters for the 1965 and later FE’s do have a different pitch on the bendix and as a result, do not match up with the Y flywheel. The later model starters also engage by moving rearward instead of going forward which requires a step on the rear side of the flywheel so that the starter ring is not being gradually pushed off of the flywheel over repeated engagements. The Y Blocks and the 1964 and earlier FE’s have this step on the front side of the flywheel for the starter ring gear to rest against due to the starter bendix moving forward when engaging.