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Thread: Ring Gear Replacement

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Ring Gear Replacement

    I pulled my engine today and started tearing it down. I already knew I had starter problems because it didn't always engage, it would sometimes make that aweful gear grinding sound that makes you shiver.

    Once I got the bell housing off, I discovered 4 areas on the ring gear with obvious damage to the teeth where the starter drive gear had been grinding. The starter drive was also in pretty bad shape.

    I know you can replace a starter bendix and I saw where SI sells a new ring gear. The service manual says the ring gear is shrunk on the flywheel but I couldn't find any info on replacing it. Shrunk on tells me the ring gear would have to be heated to be installed.

    I need advice on installing a new ring gear. All advice appreciated.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Senior Member Tom B's Avatar
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    Before installing the new gear, remove the old one. If it is only worn on one side, it may be replaced backwards and serve a long life.

    To remove it, heat it with an acetylene torch, you have to heat it without too much heat reaching the body of the flywheel. that means a hot flame, moved quickly all over the ring gear. putting it on is tricky, but it can be done the same way. It will heat quicker to put it on, because you won't be heating the body as much.
    Tom Bredehoft
    '53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
    '55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan....back on the road, again....
    '05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
    All Indiana built cars

  3. #3
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    Just did that ab couple months ago on my Avanti. Use something to support the ring gear (not on the flywheel) heat it up, and the flywheel will "drop off" Heat the new ring gear and "drop it on" It's pretty easy, an acetylene torch is a MUST!

    Jim

  4. #4
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    I love this forum. Why didn't I think about flipping the ring gear over. The back side is perfect. Thanks Tom.

    Using the weight of the flywheel to help remove and reinstall the ring gear is another great idea. Thanks Jim. What did you use to support just the ring gear? I am thinking about some large nuts spaced around where the just the teeth set on the edge of the nuts.

    Thanks again
    Wayne

  5. #5
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    I've never removed a Stude flywheel ring, but have done a few dozen foreign and domestic ones. Usually quite successfully removed cold. I'd Support the flywheel securely close to the point of mayhem of chiseling, etc. For re-use Some drive off remarkably easy with an aluminum bar as a punch. If the ring gear is junk, and it did not drive off easily, I'd first hacksaw between 2 teeth to the max depth allowed by the shoulder on the flywheel. A few chisel whacks in the saw cut will split the gear. If the flywheel had a tall shoulder preventing a deep cut, drilling the largest possible hole into and slightly thru the gear will weaken it enough to be split with a chisel. Before installing the gear, I'd spend a little time looking at details like which way the tooth bevels should point (toward the parked starter gear) and adequate chamfers/radius on the flywheel and gear to prevent interference that would prevent full seating. And easing down any knicks or gouges.
    I'd set the cleaned and prepped flywheel shouder down on the bench right next to the heating area. I'd place the new gear with the tooth bevels oriented on 3 hunks of firebrick and pre-set two vicegrips to pinch the gear width from the OD. I'd heat the ring gear with an oxy rosebud held at a distance and continually moving to bring the temp up evenly. A MAPP gas torch would probably be OK, but slower. One of those 50,000 BTU ReddiHeaters might work, but would require a lot of gear manipulation. Starter gears aren't real hard, but local overheating (blue) is still not a good idea. I like to check opposite the torch with a 400F Tempil stick. When the Tempil melts, I grab the gear by the teeeth with the 2 vice grips and drop it into place. After it cools off a bit I check for areas that are not sitting up against the flywheel shoulder, and seat them tight by tapping with an aluminum or brass drift on the gear face, not the teeth. If it seated a little too easily (subjective) I might put a few drops of wicking Loctite on the diametrical joint.

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