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after market (autozone?) flywheel cost 79$; ship in 3-4 days
i don't think I would be considering an auto zone flywheel if it was me. For a part like a flywheel which is critical to the functioning of the car, not to mention, not the easiest part to replace, i would only go with a quality part-even if it is significantly more $$-worth it.
What typically happens is the ball portion that comes in contact with the clutch fork becomes rounded and then and grease that was in there gets pushed out. then the ball stud starts to wear down.
There should be a small void between the ball stud and the fork that has a small reservoir of grease to maintain lubrication and the proper contact area when using the push rod to push the clutch fork and engage the clutch.
Hope that helps. I can say that my 70 had a LOT of wear. Enough so that I replaced the clutch fork too.
Good info, thanks. I see a LUK flywheel for $98.07, new. Is this indeed the OEM GM used? Price seems a bit low, made in China? I'm not looking to overspend, just cautious when the price seems to be too good.
I'll check the pilot bearing, appears to be a bronze alloy. It was installed sometime in the mid 80's or early 90's. I'd guess the car hasn't had more than 5K miles put on it since then. This car spent a lot of time from early 90's to just a few years ago apart, project was put on hold for several years.
I'm considering rebuilding the shifter while it's out.
The transmission had all bearings, seals, blocking rings, and shifter forks replaced in the early 90's, factory parts. It has a slight leak in the front, hard to tell where it's coming from or whether it may have been overfilled once. I know the counter gear shaft is a common leak area but don't see how oil from there would get into the bell housing. Maybe a gasket issue on the bearing retainer? Could be the nut is installed backwards though I'd expect it to leak much more heavily in that case.
Good to know, these clutches are significantly more expensive than the LUK units.
The counter man at NAPA called the machine shop while I was there. He was told the cracks will still be there after resurfacing, said unless I plan to run some high RPMs it would be OK. This may be so but it would probably bug me knowing they're still there. My take was it isn't likely they will be able to get rid of the cracks completely.
Yes, $80 appears to be quite high compared to prices I've heard others paying for this service. I've lost track of local machine shops I used to deal with years ago. Not sure what shops are around and who has a good reputation.
Luk is one of the major OEM suppliers. Information was shared from quite a long post on the NCRS website by guys that forgot more than i know
The leak in the front is likely the counter shaft as it is just a press fit. I was lucky enough to assist the guy that rebuilt (Jody's Transmissions) and mine still had a nice press fit. I still put a little RTV in the small cavity of the counter shaft before bolting up transmission. The RTV won't work very well if the counter shaft hole is not a good press fit.
Bill
Last edited by 1974ta; Sep 4, 2014 at 12:41 AM.
Reason: additional info
Yeah, looks like the ball stud needs replacing when I compare to new ones online. The flat surface at the tip is small.
I'd imagine the fork is worn too. Wondering if a new ball stud would provide enough of a pocket to hold grease?
Pretty close to what mine looked like. Take a look at the hole where the push rod clevis attaches to the fork. I am guessing it is out of round based on the wear of the ball stud. You may also want to tale a look at the push rod where it attaches to the clutch pedal as it get egg shaped and the pin on the clutch pedal where the push rod attaches can be worn and fail.
I only mention this now based on the wear shown on the ball stud and fork.
I have a 1-3/8" ball stud. Replacements are 1-1/2".
There's a posting on the NCRS web site which said the 1 1/2" ball stud affects the feel of the action, not smooth.
Has anyone replaced the 1-3/8" ball stud with a 1-1/2" part?
Corvette Central lists a 1 3/8" ball stud being available.
All others offer only the 1-1/2" part.
Wondering if the fork is different when used with the 1-1/2" ball stud.
I have a 1-3/8" ball stud. Replacements are 1-1/2".
There's a posting on the NCRS web site which said the 1 1/2" ball stud affects the feel of the action, not smooth.
Has anyone replaced the 1-3/8" ball stud with a 1-1/2" part?
Corvette Central lists a 1 3/8" ball stud being available.
All others offer only the 1-1/2" part.
Wondering if the fork is different when used with the 1-1/2" ball stud.
GM listed the replacement for the 1 3/8" ball stud as the 1-1/2".
There is a very long post that discusses GM going back and forth between the two sizes. The 1-1/2" should be fine. The fork is the same regardless of the ball stud. Joe L on the NCRS board, as well as others with a lot more knowledge than me, said there should be no difference.
I opted for an original GM 1-1/2" ball stud. They are still available from GM. I always go with OEM parts wherever possible.
Bill
Last edited by 1974ta; Sep 4, 2014 at 10:11 PM.
Reason: spelling
I just put a RAM HDX clutch kit-$350 on my 355 L-82 4 speed and it fit perfectly-no issues. My builder for the short block recommended RAM for my applications since he has used many of them with zero problems. Why didn't you just return your clutch?
Just the flywheel... not a clutch. It was over a year since I bought it. Was just fed up with dealing with crappy parts... threw it on the shelf and forgot about it.
Just the flywheel... not a clutch. It was over a year since I bought it. Was just fed up with dealing with crappy parts... threw it on the shelf and forgot about it.
Thanks for all of the help everybody.
I bought a replacement from NAPA, it appears to be a LUK flywheel, had a piece of cardboard in the box with the LUK logo all over it.
Next step is deciding on a clutch and what to use for the ball stud.
Corvette Central offers the 1-3/8" ball stud. Most people feel the 1-1/2" ball stud works fine though I saw a posting on the NCRS web site saying otherwise.
Thanks for all of the help everybody.
I bought a replacement from NAPA, it appears to be a LUK flywheel, had a piece of cardboard in the box with the LUK logo all over it.
Next step is deciding on a clutch and what to use for the ball stud.
Corvette Central offers the 1-3/8" ball stud. Most people feel the 1-1/2" ball stud works fine though I saw a posting on the NCRS web site saying otherwise.
Keep looking on NCRS website. There was a long post that explained that GM could not decide whether the use a 1-3/8" or 1-1/2" ball stud. Either will work and did on Corvettes.
Make sure to take your flywheel and clutch to a REAL machine shop to have them properly balanced.
If you have every seen the damage after a flywheel comes apart, you would not be asking about cracks vs replacement; not just engine damage but look where your feet are when driving.
If you have every seen the damage after a flywheel comes apart, you would not be asking about cracks vs replacement; not just engine damage but look where your feet are when driving.
If my calculations are right (which may be suspect) at 5000 RPM and a standard flywheel the OD is traveling at 18,300 ft/sec - usual rifle velocity is 2,000 feet / sec to 3000 feet/sec.
Last year I paid ~$45 for a resurface at a local indepdent shop.
Btw I came up with only 60ft/sec for the outside of a 14" flywheel at 5000rpm.
You are correct my friend. I either had fat fingers on my calculator or my head up my ***. I should have learned 35 yeasr ago -- take a guess on what it should be and if you're real far off something is wrong.
Thanks,
John
I wish I was able to find a safety bellhousing at the time I replaced my clutch, I've seen the videos of flywheels breaking loose. I really like having legs.
I wish I was able to find a safety bellhousing at the time I replaced my clutch, I've seen the videos of flywheels breaking loose. I really like having legs.
The cracks make me feel uneasy. If the machinist is telling me they cannot be machined out, I'd feel better installing a new flywheel.
