Flywheel Questions

As long as your flywheel is out, I would change the ring gear if available.
If it was mine, I would change it. Just my thoughts
Dennis

Thanks for the tip Cornbinder, I will take a look a the spline the next time I'm working on it. I was also just reading an old thread about the rear main and there was great info about it and others own experience with it. I will not be taking on the task.

Dennis, good thought. I didn't even know changing the ring gear was an option. I'l have the shop do while it's being resurfaced.

If you change the ring gear, you'd best have a torch to heat it with.

If you have a new ring gear to replace it with, you can take a cutting torch and cut a gap in the old one. Then heat the new one as evenly as possible, and drop it into place. If you don't have a new ring gear, and the teeth seem to be good on the BACK side, just reverse the ring gear.

If you don't have a new ring gear, and the teeth seem to be good on the BACK side, just reverse the ring gear.

That's what I did. Worked like a charm. The machine shop that will surface your flywheel can do that for you in about 15min or less.

Before you destroy the ring gear you have, make sure a new one is available. As suggested, flipping yours over could be a good option and save a few bucks. As mentioned, heat will be required to get it installed.
Dennis

Ring gears only have one side of the teeth chamfered. Reversing the gear will get you going, but for long term, look for a new one. I've done it in a mud hole construction site, with nothing but a heating tip and a big hammer and drift. I just wouldn't count on it long term.
Without the chamfer, it can make it hard for the gear to mesh in the ring.

I always wondered whether the teeth were chamfered on one side, or whether that was just the result of 60 years of being hit with starter teeth.

Thanks for the tip everyone. The flywheel has been resurfaced and the ring gear has been flipped. I went with the flip instead of a new one because this truck probably will not be driven a whole lot. Local driving and certainly not a daily driver. The same shop was able to put a new lining on my parking brake band, and they painted it, so it looks band new. Can't wait to use the parking brake and not a wheel chock.

Someone said in an early post on this thread that there is no gasket for the access cover for the flywheel. Well, I was under the truck yesterday doing some cleaning and took a closer look on the underside of the bell housing to see there was defiantly a gasket of some kind. not sure why since it is not sealing an fluid in or out. Can anyone speak more to this?

thanks

There is a cork or rubberized cork gasket, kind of "V" or "U" shaped, like the cover, and then a felt seal that sits in the groove in the front of the cover. No idea why they're necessarily needed, as there's a hole in the cover anyway.

treeguy/paulh
In talking about the gasket on the flywheel inspection cover. I dont know that this is why they want it sealed but maybe they were more concerned with things on the outside getting in rather than things on the inside getting out. These trucks were made when there were still a lot of low water crossings. dirt roads .mud. gravel. Its not a bad idea.

Woops I didnt see the part about the hole in the cover. ?? ?
Mike