I have a newly surfaced flywheel with a ring gear that has seen better days. I don't think the wear is bad enough to give me trouble but if possible, I'd like to deal with this before I install the tranny. A short section of teeth are showing a little wear where the starter engaged it over many years. How easy is it to heat the ring gear, flip it over and reinstall without doing any damage to the flywheel? Should I start with a cold (from the freezer) flywheel, apply heat to the ring gear with my accetaline torch and flip it. Have never done this procedure before and am looking for any advice form those who have been down this road before. thanks -shane

Never done this myself but I remember seeing the proceddure in the factory serv. manual. and I think it said something about heating in an oven.. Wait a sec, have my 80 FSM in hand, lets see...Nothing in the "Clutch" or manual trans section, but on pg 22-45 in The auto trans section, says to chuck it and get a new T.C. if yours is a lockup, only to do this if yours is a non L.U. version. I would guess that a man trans flywheel would be the same. It says to heat in one of 4 ways.... oven heat gear at 200 * for 15-20 min., or a shallow container of boiling water 8 min after water starts to boil, or direct a steam flow around gear for 2 min., or with a torch with a med sized tip, evenly around inner rim but it says in bold, DO NOT APPLY FLAME TO GEAR TEETH. Hope this Helps.

Wouldn't it be easier to replace the ring gear than do a partial fix and have to replace it later?

I'm in the process of replacing my worn ring gear. I thought it would be a big deal to locate one for my 63 Valiant. While at the Advanced Auto parts near my house for something else, I asked about the availability, never expecting to be able to get one without a big search. They can have a new one in two days for $20.00 !
Dan M.

Ahh, I hadn't thought about getting a nre gear, I'll look into gedtting a new one. Good point about keeping the heat off the teeth, wouldn't want to disturb the heat treat. thanks -shane

most flywheel ring gears have a chamfer on one edge of the teeth to aid in starter gear engagement. while your old gear might not have this feature, a new one may. just remember to mount the gear with this chamfered edge pointed toward the starter.

-james

I think, if the new ring comes with chamfered teeth, that you will need a starter with flat faced teeth, to avoid skipping and premature wear. Ive done a lot of work with forklifts where these combinations were critical, and flat face ring gear teeth should still be available, if you get one with chamfered teeth it may just be the incorrect gear. Check the tooth count and face profile on your starter and ring gear to make sure they are compatible.

We replace 2-3 ring gears a week at work. We just heat them so that the surface of the ring just starts to shine a little, we never heat them enough to get them red. If you heat one red, it will not last 3 months. As was said before, just heat the inside of the ring, never the teeth.

Very few of the ring gears we see have straight teeth. Almost all of them have a chamfer, and so does the starter drive gear.

The rings we use also have a chamfer on the inside, to show which side goes on the flwheel. Yes, one gets put on backwards once in a while.

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