Need new ring gear flywheel!

[awesomesteven]

Never ending problems! Everyone is saying I should just set fire to this thing, haha. Since I am too stubborn to give up on it, i will be working on a new project - Ring Gear Flywheel!

I tried starting up the boat today and after the 2nd attempt I started getting a nasty grinding sound. I took the starter out to made sure the bendix was good, put it back and still got the grinding. So, I got the newer starter and I got the same sound. I thought the bendix wasn't engaging the flywheel. Turns out I was right, because the flywheel's teeth were grinding off. I manually cranked the engine and inspected about 1/2 the teeth. It seems like for a while the bendix was grinding only the front half of the each tooth - i'm guessing the rest are like this.

Time for a new ring gear flywheel.

Is this something I could do myself? I know I can take the tranny off without removing the engine block- I read csuggs when he changed the fly damper plate. My concern is the difficulty of switching out the ring gear flywheel - is it possible for me to do that or is that a job for a shop?

Or could I just flip the ring gear?

[Salty87]

damn, you're gonna be the expert soon. i've done the damper plate but not a flywheel.

good luck!

[CornRickey]

I've heard of guys flipping the ring but I don't know if that is possible with our set up. If it is I think I would put a new on anyway. My dad was able to switch the gear on his flywheel and he used a oxy/acet. torch to heat the ring up and slip it onto the flywheel.

[awesomesteven]

I don't have an oxy/acet torch. I only have a couple of the little blow torches that you can buy at home depot. Could I take it off if I have three of these torches at once (with buddies helping out)?


Would this one fit - $25? It's 157 teeth but skidim has it for like $130...big price difference

[CornRickey]

I don't think your link is working. I wouldn't know anyways. I think the small torches would work but use the mixed gas bottles that are hotter like map gas. Another thing you could do to help is freeze the flywheel.

[awesomesteven]

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=BK_6003030_0359530904

There we go. It probably would have helped had I actually included the link!

Freeze the flywheel? Wouldn't that also shrink the ring along with the flywheel?

[CornRickey]

Get the old one off. Heat the new ring, freeze the flywheel.

[awesomesteven]

Ok. So it seems like this should be a pretty straight forward task. Any suggestions as to what else I should change out while I have the Tranny out? Also, is there a gasket between the block and Tranny? I couldn't find it on skidim.

[CornRickey]

I would definitely to all the research prior to taking it apart. I have no experience with removing a marine tranni. I started wondering though on a car with auto tranni there is a flex plate not a flywheel. Flex plates are one piece with the ring gear on it. I do know they have a damper plate that the springs will chatter when worn. I'd research th validity of changing it out also considering the labor of the job, hours on it and cost of the part. As for seals you must be talking about the rear main seal. I'd replace it if it was a vehicle but again I'd take the same path as the damper.

[wotan2525]

You should replace the rear main while it's apart. It's easy and cheap preventative maintenance. You can use the regular auto one.

[awesomesteven]

Just picked up the ring gear from napa. WOW, what a difference! So that's what the teeth are supposed to look like? Haha.


You should replace the rear main while it's apart. It's easy and cheap preventative maintenance. You can use the regular auto one.

Good tip. I'm just now starting to understand which parts I can buy at an auto store and which ones have to be marine specific. Ends up saving a lot of $.

[awesomesteven]

Ok. Time for a lesson...

1 - How do I loosen the prop shaft so I can shift it backwards? I removed the bolts from the coupler, but it only slides back about 1/2 an inch. Do I have to remove the seal? - I think I have a drip-less seal. I pulled from below the boat but I don't want to pull too hard for fear of messing something up.

2 - Unmounting the tranny. Do I just unbolt the 2 bolts on the mount/tranny side and the wedge bolt (I think that's what its called)?

[SquamInboards]

Ok. Time for a lesson...

1 - How do I loosen the prop shaft so I can shift it backwards? I removed the bolts from the coupler, but it only slides back about 1/2 an inch. Do I have to remove the seal? - I think I have a drip-less seal. I pulled from below the boat but I don't want to pull too hard for fear of messing something up.

2 - Unmounting the tranny. Do I just unbolt the 2 bolts on the mount/tranny side and the wedge bolt (I think that's what its called)?

1. What part is hitting? Is the prop still on the shaft, is that hitting the rudder? You may have to pull the prop, and also maybe the coupler off the end of the shaft. Can you see what's preventing the movement?

2. When I pull my transmission I lift the engine and trans together, then separate the transmission from the bell housing (4 bolts) and slide the transmission back with the mounts still attached. It makes re-alignment easier too.

[Salty87]

How do I loosen the prop shaft so I can shift it backwards? I removed the bolts from the coupler, but it only slides back about 1/2 an inch. Do I have to remove the seal? - I think I have a drip-less seal. I pulled from below the boat but I don't want to pull too hard for fear of messing something up.

if you have dripless then you'll have to loosen the collar on the shaft. prob 2 allen head set screws on either side of it.

[jwwalk]

Get the old one off. Heat the new ring, freeze the flywheel.

Heating the ring in an oven will work well too. I used to put bearings in uprights this way...bake the upright in the oven, bearing drops right in.

[wotan2525]

if you have dripless then you'll have to loosen the collar on the shaft. prob 2 allen head set screws on either side of it.

My dripless collar actually has 2 allen set screws with 2 additional allen set screws holding those in. Need to take out the outermost set to get to the innermost set.

[awesomesteven]

My dripless collar actually has 2 allen set screws with 2 additional allen set screws holding those in. Need to take out the outermost set to get to the innermost set.

Thanks! This is exactly what was going on. I didn't see the innermost set.

[awesomesteven]

Just wiggle the crap out of the tranny, right? This thing is so hard to pull off.

I have the bellhousing and the tranny as one piece. Is it supposed to be this difficult or am i doing something wrong?

Update: pb blaster and the help of a friend and still cant get it. Should i just get a crowbar and pry this thing out?

[awesomesteven]

Any ideas?

[wotan2525]

You sure you have all of the bolts out? Sounds like something is still attached. Keep in mind that this has been wet/moist and sitting for a long time. Couple whacks with a mallet and/or some heat should break it apart (but make sure you have ALL the bolts removed first.)

[awesomesteven]

Yep. All bolts off and so is the starter. I've checked about 10 times bc I keeps thinking there is no possible way it can be this difficult.

[awesomesteven]

I should clarify. I can get the bell housing about 1/4 to 1/2 of separation in all areas but not at the same time (left side but not the right or vice-versa). So the problem is inside the bellhousing. It seems like the shaft (maybe?) is stuck.

[awesomesteven]

Is there anything else that could be attached? I have the 5 bolts around the bell housing removed ad well as the starter. I've been going at it for a couple hours and no luck yet.

[SquamInboards]

I would suggest separating the transmission from the bell housing, and taking the tranny out of the boat, or at least out of the way. Then you can see everything much better, and you're only wrestling with the housing and not the whole tranny. I vaguely recall there being some kind of plate on the back of the bell housing that goes behind the flywheel, which would be causing your problem. But it's been a while since I had a bell housing off.

[awesomesteven]

Thanks squamlnboards. I think I might have to do that - separating the tranny from the bell housing. I'm thinking the splined input shaft is corroded and it's just stuck on there. Hopefully I'll get more leverage by trying to pull the tranny out by itself. I started trying to do this late last night but those bolts are on there good! Those bottom two are hard to budge - It doesn't help that my 11/16th wrench is only 4 inches long, ha. I didn't even think about interlocking it with another wrench to get better leverage untill this morning. At least the wd40 has some time to sink in.

[FULL-THROTTLE]

With the tranny still attached to the bell housing you may be fighting with the tranny splines into the coupler that is bolted to the flywheel, the tranny will bind if it is the least bit misaligned,, remove the tranny first then the bellhousing.
As far as the ring gear replacement, I just had one done, more like had a friend do it while i got him beer, heat the ring ( not the flywheel and pry/hammer/ love it off, the good thing here is you are not worried about it because it is going in the trash. For installation of the new one, put the flywheel in the freezed for an hour, and 10 mins before you remove the flywheel put the ring gear in the gas grill on high for 10 mins, they will go togeather like butter. I was completely surprised to see how easy it was. Good luck.

[awesomesteven]

So I tried removing the tranny as it's own unit and still nothing. Now I'm pretty sure that the input shaft is stuck. So I have done some research and think I have 2 options. Which one is possible/best option

1 - Is it possible to loosen up the damper plate through the starter hole? And if it is, would it then be possible to slide the tranny out?

2 - I was thinking I could get some all thread the same pitch size as the bellhousing bolts - with nuts and washers. Get the nuts and washers in the gap,Then screw the all thread into the block. Slowly start tightening all the nuts that they are all evenly pulling and hopefully this will pop the bellhousing and tranny off - without any damage. Would this work?

[awesomesteven]

Finally got the thing off!!! I used method #2 described above. After enough space was made I was able to sqeeze a wrench in there andremove the bolts from the damper plate. After I removed the ones I could reach I had to put the bell housing back, turn the engine manually, spread it apart again and remove the bolts (repeat if necessary.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/20/6aja9a7y.jpg

One last step. When I pulled it the input shaft was stuck/rusted on yo the damper plate. Any ideas how I can get it off?
12043

This is how bad the old ring gear is. New on top of old.
12042
No wonder I couldn't start this thing!
- In process of putting the ring gear in the oven and flywheel in the freezer.

[awesomesteven]

I tried using a 3 jaw puller I bought from harbor freight. But I didn't have any luck. 12055

Since that didn't work I had to cut out part of the damper plate so I could get the bellhousing out. I used an angle grinder12056

Just remove the 4 bolts and 2 screws to the bell housing. It should slide right out. If not, a few taps with a rubber mallet should do the trick.

[awesomesteven]

Ok. Now I thought I could use the puller again since I cut the plate and not have to deal with the plate bending.12057
Of course that didn't work.

I thought about getting a ball joint tool to wedge in there but the gap was too small. What did work for me was shoving a 12" adjustable wrench and tapping the end with a hammer12058

[awesomesteven]

Finally! Here is the end result.12059

Hope it helps if someone has the same issue I had with the transmission stuck or having difficulty removing it.

[td in nc]

This post was very helpful for me. My only suggestion instead of the nut on all thread method, is to drill a hole in the bell housing and take off the bolts which connect the damper plate to the flywheel. Once I did this the tranny slid right off. I had to drill two 1" diameter holes into the bell housing and was able to back off the nuts pretty easily.

14803

[lively]

Well atleast the flywheel and damper plate can breathe better now ! Looks like a tough one to get off ! I always use heat when metal is stubborn . And a mini 10lb sledge lol


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[premierproperties]

I just did this job and pulled the motor, was way easier to see everything out in the open. Took about 2 1/2 hrs to pull, a little quicker to put back in. It's a full day job

[Blakelpd5]

Is your motor the 351 Steven?


If so, do you happen to have the part number, or what info you used to describe this to napa? I need the same part....

[lively]

yes just tell them you need one for a windsor 351 , 1986 year , Left hand rotation , or go on ebay and order one

[Blakelpd5]

Lively.

Thank you, thank you!!