Hot Rods toothless flathead flywheel

What do you guys do about a flywheel that sounds like grinding metal while starting it. I'm in L.A.

 

I usually check the ring gear and starter pinion for damage. I'm not in L.A.

 

The starter actually looks near perfect!

 

Look at the ring gear for one .

 

I’d dig another FW out of my parts pile

 

Starter needs the correct bolts to locate, regular bolts don’t have the shoulder, may also need the front strap as well

 

Correct starter plate?

 

He’s got an early flathead, so no starter plate to be wrong.

 

starter

 

Well you’re ring gear is done, you could flip it and get a “little “ more out of it

 

I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK!!!

 

Do shops still install ring gears? Are they available or is it better to find a good used one?

 

Probably just as easy to do a search for a good used flywheel

 

just buy a new ring gear. they are not that expensive, and easy to put on. got a torch?

 

Put new ring in oven.

 

I got a torch! Press on? Hammer on?

 

Remove old with heat? Install with heat?

 

A tutorial and a safety video all in one. Thanks @Moriarity

 

When I installed a new ring gear on the flywheel for my 8ba I cut the old one off with a cut off wheel (partially thru and then banged it off with a BMFH and chisel. Heated the new ring gear on the barbie and put the flywheel in the freezer. Just make sure you place the teeth facing the right way. Flathead starters engage from the rear not the front.

 

Don't flip the ring gear, it's too big a job to have to do it again!

 

Ok, since I have everyones attention, next question. On a 30 ford coupe hot rod of the early era, obviously a 36 ford rear is narrow and perfect but is it a HUGE difference compared to a 40 mercury rear or a 40 ford rear?

 

36 is same width as 40 Ford. Not sure about Mercury.

 

Like in the video, just heat until it falls off. This is especially important on a flathead flywheel because they have a very thin ring on the flywheel to help locate the ring gear. you must heat until it falls off, do not attack with a hammer or you will break off the paper thin ring. Like this...in yellow

 

Thank you

 

And for a front axle, any year from 32 to 48 car?

 

'32-'36 axle, '37-'48 spindles

 

Thank you

 

I ordered one from Dennis Carpenter, and its a wall hanger now. Some one ground the piss out of the ID probably to try to make it fit, and returned it. Ended up getting shipped to me... the dissapointing part was I had to argue for a bit with them to get a refund. I found an original in good shape. A new starter ring laid over a fire pit supported with a couple peices of rebar to suspend it should warm it up. Grab it with some leather welding gloves and get it on quickly, let it cool. You can see the original ring size, below the aftermarket one.