Flywheel/Starter Ring Gear
Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:46 am
I am working on my second Singer 4AD restoration. I have some questions regarding the mounting of the starter ring gear on the flywheel.
When I disassembled my clutch and bell housing, I noticed that a number of modifications had been made to the assembly. The bottom of the bell housing had a chunk deliberately removed (line-drilled & broken out) at the bottom. The throwout bearing fork had been cut off and a different fork brazed onto it. The throwout bearing was different but workable. Also, the flywheel had four allen head set screws installed up against the starter ring gear. The ring gear was badly chewed up in several places.
Being somewhat of a purist, I decided to start over. I was able to obtain a used bell housing, throwout bearing fork, and flywheel from Paul Barber in GA. When I compared the two flywheels, I observed a major difference. The original flywheel had the chamfer on the engine side of the flywheel. The one I received from Paul had the chamfer on the clutch side of the flywheel. I assume that the one from Paul is right, since the starter thrust gear engages from the clutch side. I also assume that the original flywheel starter ring was reversed to use the side of the starter ring that wasn't chewed up. I had only started the engine twice before I disassembled it. I hadn't noticed any strange noises when I started it and the starter gear doesn' appear to be damaged.
My first question: Is reversing the starter ring gear a workable, satisfactory solution for a worn ring gear? Is the chamfer not important?
Does anyone have expereince with this? My repair manual doesn't address this. The repair manual does raise another question. It says that you should only heat the starter ring gear in an oven prior to installing it on the flywheel. It cautions against using an open flame or torch. My local clutch expert that rebuilds my clutches and pressure plates assures me that he uses a torch to install the ring gears all the time. Is the manual correct or overcautious?
I plan to use the flywheel that Paul provided, however, I ordered a starter ring gear from Trevor Cornelius and plan to rebuild the original flywheel to keep for a spare. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
When I disassembled my clutch and bell housing, I noticed that a number of modifications had been made to the assembly. The bottom of the bell housing had a chunk deliberately removed (line-drilled & broken out) at the bottom. The throwout bearing fork had been cut off and a different fork brazed onto it. The throwout bearing was different but workable. Also, the flywheel had four allen head set screws installed up against the starter ring gear. The ring gear was badly chewed up in several places.
Being somewhat of a purist, I decided to start over. I was able to obtain a used bell housing, throwout bearing fork, and flywheel from Paul Barber in GA. When I compared the two flywheels, I observed a major difference. The original flywheel had the chamfer on the engine side of the flywheel. The one I received from Paul had the chamfer on the clutch side of the flywheel. I assume that the one from Paul is right, since the starter thrust gear engages from the clutch side. I also assume that the original flywheel starter ring was reversed to use the side of the starter ring that wasn't chewed up. I had only started the engine twice before I disassembled it. I hadn't noticed any strange noises when I started it and the starter gear doesn' appear to be damaged.
My first question: Is reversing the starter ring gear a workable, satisfactory solution for a worn ring gear? Is the chamfer not important?
Does anyone have expereince with this? My repair manual doesn't address this. The repair manual does raise another question. It says that you should only heat the starter ring gear in an oven prior to installing it on the flywheel. It cautions against using an open flame or torch. My local clutch expert that rebuilds my clutches and pressure plates assures me that he uses a torch to install the ring gears all the time. Is the manual correct or overcautious?
I plan to use the flywheel that Paul provided, however, I ordered a starter ring gear from Trevor Cornelius and plan to rebuild the original flywheel to keep for a spare. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.