17 replies to this topic

[travellering]

trying with all my and my compressor's might to remove a flywheel on a 94 verto equipped engine. I stripped the center bolt in my flywheel puller, and that was an easy fix, I just machined it out and recapped it to a 7/8 fine thread, and went at it again.
This time, the failure point was one of the 3/8 coarse thread bits in the flywheel assembly. The one bolt out of the three pulled through. I don't have another flywheel to check against, so how much metal do I have to go up in size on these threads? Can I get a half inch fine thread tapped in there? Or will there be no wall thickness left to tap?

[geoff-d]

I just had the same problem & went out to m12 . just fitted in puller holes ok. then pulled up on the three bolts a little heat from a hot air gun & off it came with a good pop.

[Spider]

Just to check, you have removed the lock / locating plate from the tail if the crank before trying to pull it?  The original threads in the Verto Flywheel were M10, the pre-verto were 3/8 UNF.

[Guess-Works.com]

I would helicoil the hole back to M10, so you're not confusing the next person who will be taking the flywheel off...

 

Got any pictures ?

[travellering]

I'm happy to try to helicoil it back to M10, but I'm not sure that will be the strongest mechanical option to pull the flywheel. I have removed the crank bolt and the offset keyed washer behind it, so if there's another retention device behind there, I'd love to know about it.

[travellering]

Here's the puller in question. I have been playing a propane torch over the flywheel center and got it up to 450 Fahrenheit with no release in sight...

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[Italianjob]

These have a tendancy to be buggers to get off, Atleast yours is out of the car! I was told to do many things like hitting the end of the centre bolt, heating it up, putting a bar through the starter hole and whacking the flywheel from the other side to try to ease it off.

I eventually got it off by grinding it! An option I wouldnt recommend, but had to be done as I was running out of time. I would persevere with the heat and hitting/ tightening. I used the 20 quid halfords flywheel puller which wasnt up to the job, I dethreaded 3 of the bolts trying to do this too.

 

Good Luck!

[Guess-Works.com]

What you need to do is first make sure that it is pulling in line with the crank, if you try and pull a clutch slightly off line it prove difficult as you're not pulling equally either side of the taper.. Once you're sure everything is square so to speak, then tighten the main bolt as tight as it will go, and then smack the end of the bolt with a lump hammer.. Keep doing this, until it comes off....

 

If you still finding it difficult, then you may need a stronger puller...

 

Let me introduce the "Gerrof ya b'start" puller http://www.guess-wor...play.htm?id=501

Edited by Guess-Works.com, 11 November 2014 - 03:34 PM.

[Spider]

Maybe you need a better puller?

 

I have one of the Hydraulic ones, 12 tonne force, never failed me yet!

 

 

 

 

 

<edit:  Does it look like it's been apart before?>

Edited by Moke Spider, 11 November 2014 - 08:01 PM.

[Guess-Works.com]

Mine was originally designed about a 10 hydraulic ram, which turned out to be woefully inadequate, mind you the two test subjects, one clutch and one torque converter,  had already seen off any commercially available puller and also the genuine churchill tool... which is why I ditch the 10 ton ram for the big bolt which proves much easier...

 

Out of interest can you strike the ram on the end for a shock load ?

[Spider]

Out of interest can you strike the ram on the end for a shock load ?

 

No!  Definitely not, but never had to. I have had a couple of steel flywheels not correctly fitted in the first instance and so quite stuck, one of these did take every bit of the 12 Tonnes that puller could offer and the other took all that and a tap (littlerally) on the flywheel through the starter hole.

 

Mind you, as you no doubt already know, when using any serious puller, stand well clear, when they come off, they fly!  If I feel one is gunna be a tight one, I'll bolt a section of chain across the clutch cover bolts so it doesn't land on the deck or one's toes.

[Guess-Works.com]

Overcome that by having a clever device which screws into the crank which the bolt presses against, this catches the flywheel or torque converter. Only moves a few mm once the taper is released.

[GraemeC]

That's the elegant solution.
I wind 3 or 4 wok bolts back in with penny washers on them which catch the flywheel nicely.

[travellering]

I'm using the back of the old flywheel center bolt as both a pressing surface and retention device. It's a good ten turns plus away from being seated, so that's not retaining the flywheel in my current struggle. Just helicoiled it (bloody hell they're proud of that bit of kit! 43 dollars and change for a couple of bits of spring and a tap...). Tomorrow's game is to get some more bolts, as the two that didn't pull out bent quite impressively. Then more heat.. Oxyacetylene worth the investment? Or will mapp gas get enough on it? I know my propane torch is doing more to suck the oxygen out of the air than it is doing to heat the flywheel before the heat soaks into the crank taper as well..

[Spider]

I'm using the back of the old flywheel center bolt as both a pressing surface and retention device.

 

That is in principal, a good idea, however I would express high caution at doing this as it would be easy to damage the thread in the crank, especially if you are going to hammer the puller.