Some more ideas needed for flywheel welding problem

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Kevin Jonker

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Should someone with avg welding skills know how to weld the ring gear to the flywheel? Isn't the ring gear cast iron and the flywheel steel? Will that be an issue? Thx. By the way, I have to pull the engine cause the scattershield is being a nightmare to unbolt. SLOW LONG BURN!!!!!!
 
Welded?? I didn't think they were welded, I thought they were "cold" the flywheel, heat the ring, then it shrinks on??

I would not want to be 'a weldin' on a flywheel.
 
Ring gears are welded to torque converters, so it shouldn't be a problem as long as the flywheel is steel. Usually the shrink fit is enough to hold the ring gear to the flywheel but a couple of tack welds shouldn't hurt anything, but I wouldn't weld on a wheel that sees any high rpms though.
 
I might try a few tack welds with a wire feed, but nothing that would put any real heat to it.

My real question is WHY???
 
factory flywheels are generally cast. This is a fool's errand

Ever see a clutch/ flywheel explosion? I have. I darn near got a piece of flywheel through my windshield, here's the true story:

Approx early spring of 67, the old "Deer Park" dragstrip N of Spokane, a cold and windy day. We had gone to the car to warm up, parked along the strip. I'm trying to watch and read a program, when the old "Ron's Drive in" coupe went by, my partner shouts "Ron's blew a clutch!!" I look up to see "junk" coming down out of the middle, an old ?? Olds ?? jacked up in front. Several seconds later we hear a crash.

Get out, the '59? Caddie parked next to us had a BIG gash in the rear quarter nest to my car. A big 'ol smokin' hot piece o' flywheel was laying on the ground. The piece had come right between our two cars and gashed the quarter of that Caddie next to my car.

I had a great paperweight for years. Somehow, it got lost

Just got back from Google. Here's a picture of that very car

http://gassermadness.com/reiter2/index.html

Rons_DriveIn.jpg
 
The chance of a flywheel explosion is not worth the money and time your trying to save.
Get a new flywheel or at least take it to a machine shop for fitting of the ring.

Whip
 
Well the ring gear spun on the flywheel. The old one was just resurfaced. Don't know if I would trust just reattaching another ring gear (I am having to pull the motor again which was just dropped in :( just to remove the flywheel. New ones are at least $300.00 for billet (with shipping). New stock one will have to be balanced $$ plus purchase cost. Used will be cost plus balance, plus resurfacing if it's ok to begin with. $300.00 is alot of money right now. I just figured that 4 small even spaced welds would be okay.
 
Then weld the thing on. When you end up in a wheelchair for the rest of your life from doin some stupid *** **** that a couple hundred bucks wouldda fixed, you can run the "I told you so's" around in your mind. You'll have plenty of time on your hands to do it.
 
Hmmm, One of the reasons I post here is for useful information. I guess not everyone wants to just offer help. But there is always someone that needs to show their top dog status. BTW I run a scattershield so...
 
Scattershields don't always hold everything. God bless.
 
Flywheels ring gears are pressed on like explained above tach welding could throw off the balance. I would recommend a new Billet wheel. Ram, Hays Mcleod are SFI for 7k RPM. Spend a little money and be safe rather than sorry later. Just my 2 cents.
 
67Dart273 said:
factory flywheels are generally cast. This is a fool's errand

Ever see a clutch/ flywheel explosion? I have. I darn near got a piece of flywheel through my windshield, here's the true story:

Approx early spring of 67, the old "Deer Park" dragstrip N of Spokane, a cold and windy day. We had gone to the car to warm up, parked along the strip. I'm trying to watch and read a program, when the old "Ron's Drive in" coupe went by, my partner shouts "Ron's blew a clutch!!" I look up to see "junk" coming down out of the middle, an old ?? Olds ?? jacked up in front. Several seconds later we hear a crash.

Get out, the '59? Caddie parked next to us had a BIG gash in the rear quarter nest to my car. A big 'ol smokin' hot piece o' flywheel was laying on the ground. The piece had come right between our two cars and gashed the quarter of that Caddie next to my car.

I had a great paperweight for years. Somehow, it got lost

Just got back from Google. Here's a picture of that very car

http://gassermadness.com/reiter2/index.html

Rons_DriveIn.jpg
Click to expand...


Great pic. However technology has come a long way and Clutches and Flywheels are made a lot better than the good old days.
 
I feel that for the price of safety $300 is worth it.I was racing my 340 4 speed car and had to buy the Lakewood scattershield which was $400plus.Some things are more important than money,my feet,legs,hands being one of them.It,s your choice how you spend your money.Good luck whichever you choose.
 
7200 rpms is kinda high. Insted of welding the gear to the flywheel you could pin it with some small roll pins.
 
Kevin Jonker said:
Hmmm, One of the reasons I post here is for useful information. I guess not everyone wants to just offer help. But there is always someone that needs to show their top dog status. BTW I run a scattershield so...
Click to expand...

Correct on that. Being an old mech; we had to heat the ring with a torch, and still beat it on. Factory recommend.
 
Well....I hope your scattershield is as thick as your fuckin skull. You're gonna need it.
 
if ya weld it yur gonna add metal and need rebalance,git the good stuff
Kevin Jonker said:
Well the ring gear spun on the flywheel. The old one was just resurfaced. Don't know if I would trust just reattaching another ring gear (I am having to pull the motor again which was just dropped in :( just to remove the flywheel. New ones are at least $300.00 for billet (with shipping). New stock one will have to be balanced $$ plus purchase cost. Used will be cost plus balance, plus resurfacing if it's ok to begin with. $300.00 is alot of money right now. I just figured that 4 small even spaced welds would be okay.
Click to expand...
 
daliant said:
7200 rpms is kinda high. Insted of welding the gear to the flywheel you could pin it with some small roll pins.
Click to expand...

good luck drilling where you need to.... best bet is to buy new and know that it will not scatter ... and scatter you.

Welding will not hold at those rpms ...side step the clutch a few times and the welds will start to crack. Its not a matter of will it hold... its a matter of .. when will it blow.

But if you feel like trying... Go for it... but do not come back here complaining that you have no legs.
 
...and it's got nothing to do with bein a "top dog". Don't know where the hell that came from. It's about bein a smart dog.
 
I think you're getting some good advice here and it's up to you to use it or not. It's one thing if your gramma-ing your car to church and back but if you intend on racing it then good god man in the interest of your safety buy a new one.
 
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