[kwikt]

Yes Flash, there were hairlike strands of aluminum spiraled around the bolts.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

interesting. that's the first i've heard of that, but since things are moving around in there pretty fast, and likely slinging things off, it's not too surprising. that is sort of "good news". that means that at least the aluminum is likely not crushing, or at least not as much, and rather just being torn away. still, not good, and if it's that soft, any vibrations or repeated heat cycling will still likely work things loose over time. but, at least it may indicate that it will take time.



it will also be interesting to see if and how the 13 and the 18 units differ. the sampling is just too small yet to tell.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Joel968]

Classic, when all else fails call the other guy a liar. Owning this sand box sure make you pompous, I will get the flywheel and post pictures.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[94SilverCab]

OK Joel, just to get this straight.



You are complaining about a product not manufactured by Bob, that was out of warranty years ago and was truthfully represented in the initial ad (which I believe we will all get to witness as soon as you post pictures); was sold to a third party over two years ago and you never revisited the advertised flaw until now, and he still stands behind it (because that is how he does ALL of his business), and you still try to turn the tables and call him pompous??? By the way, you posted this on a thread in which Bob identified a potential issue as a service for those drivers using this product in the most extreme circumstances (i.e. Track or extreme heat on a dyno), not recommended by the manufacturer, but if used this way could cause serious harm, and which has been conclusively found to happen.



smh,



Jay

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - yeah - almost 2 years later, with no other indication of issue, he gets to publicly call me a criminal, but i don't get to dispute that claim? and i'm pompous? sounds like another agenda at play to me.



joel - post pics if you want, but it isn't necessary. i'll buy it back if it's straight, or cock-eyed. i know that only one hole gave me any trouble. i'll take care of that. the rest are not an issue. the clutch cover only takes 17 lb/ft at those bolts, and all of the others threaded in just fine. those things could probably be at a 45 degree angle and still do their job.



regardless, i'll still buy it back. just send me an address to which to send the call tag.



getting back on topic, again, i'm willing to bet, now that i'm paying attention to this, that the bolt circle shows the same galling. i'm pretty sure this is going to be a universal issue.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

Wait a minute. Anyone who knows you wouldn't question your business dealings. They are beyond reproach. But what concerns me here is that you really didn't respond to the pompous compliment.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - no worries - that one was a given. it goes with elitist, erudite, snob, ass, jerk, yada yada................. guilty as charged.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Lear35A]

I had been a true believer in the galling problem, but not so much concerning the "nose cone." Mine only has a thousand miles or so on it. Easy driving. Certainly no track time. But since my flywheel was out anyway, I just took a look. With the lightest tap of the wooden handle of a small hammer this thing popped out. Flash's write up is correct. There is very little holding this part in place. I am not sure what route I'm going to take to fix it yet, but doing nothing isn't one of them.



Here's a picture showing this nose piece out of the flywheel. The height of the contact area is only 8mm.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

frankly i was a bit surprised to see my nose cone still in place when i pulled my flywheel over the holiday. i had done the plate mod, as well as a mod to retain the bearing, but had not yet done anything about the nose cone, as i had not yet determined that it was a design problem. it had only happened to me once, years ago. it was not until it happened on a different car that i took notice and started looking into this. mine may be just barely sitting there right now. i don't know yet. i'll be looking at that in the next day or so.



it's a pretty bad design though. the only thing i can surmise is that it was done for reasons of cost savings. that's pretty scary when you stop to think that the only thing keeping the clutch centered is that pilot bearing (there is a lot of play in the shaft assembly itself), and when the nose cone comes loose, that disk is just flying around in there every time you step on the clutch.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[bombfactory]

Wow - it's insane that that flywheel is designed like that!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - it gets worse



i took a look at mine yesterday and i found yet another reason this is a crappy design. no, that's not the leaning tower of pisa. that stupid nose cone is in there cock-eyed, and there is nothing to stop it from doing this on any of the other flywheels either. the insertion portion is just too short. (lol - sounds like a personal problem)



so, now i get to deal with this problem at the same time as making sure it doesn't come out of there. oh well. somebody else is going to get a much better flywheel when i'm all done.



   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

the plot thickens, or at least the nose cone does



on the right is a nose cone from my flywheel, which was one of the first ones made. on the left is one from the flywheel that flew apart on the dyno, which was a much later one. note that the one on the left is thicker at the area that inserts into the flywheel. it looks like fidanza knew about the problem, and tried to fix it, but still failed.



   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Ab54666]

Mines just been whipped out, pictures to follow when I get to the garage. Thankfully minimal damage (slightest markings by the bolts) so it's off to the machine shop and they are making up a plate that will also hold in the nose as well.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

I know this flies in the face of everything said here but..... I talked to my mechanic and a veteran machinist yesterday and they both agreed that tack welding the centre hub in they flywheel was not necessary. They said that removing it and reseating with Locktite Bearing Retainer would keep it there for life. There would be no need to rebalance as well due to the lack of tack welding.

FWIW ;-)

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

nope - they are both wrong. that "glue" does NOT hold up. it's not like jb weld. i have it here and have tried it multiple times. i've had 3 now pop out with the slightest encouragement, and 2 with no encouragement at all. it does not hold up to the heat and material expansion and cooling. some form of mechanical retension mechanism is required.



tack welding, if done in opposing points, would not require rebalancing.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

Nuff said.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - sort of - the problem with tack welding will be getting the flywheel heated up. make sure the pilot bearing is removed before starting.



in the end, i welded a wire to the plate instead, creating a physical retaining mechanism

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[DaveN]

I just took my flywheel to get modified by a well respected machinist. I sent him Flashs' docs, explained what the problem was and that balancing was an issue so try to make the fix as even as possible. Just got it back today and he took a different approach to the problem. There are now 3-5mm set screws anchoring the nose cone so no welding was required. I will still have it balanced but there should be almost no change with this solution.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kwikt]

Pretty slick idea!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Cloud9...68]

That's exactly the approach my machinist took.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.