does anyone know where i can find info on an old schiefer aluminum flywheel as far as where i can get a pressure plate from ? i live in the boonies a little and the local parts stores dont have much in stock to compare to. this flywheel fits any of the early hemi's with the 8 hole mount and takes an 11 inch disc also its bronze faced, there is a number 311 stamped on the backside along with the num 522 in ink. it looks like a ford bolt pattern for the p-p mount as its got 6 holes, 3 pairs of 2 holes about 3 3/8 ths apart. ive tried all the obvious searching but no one seems to have any info on what pressure plate is the correct one. any help on this is greatly app as i sure would like to use it in my rat, thanks
I learned back in the day how bad those wheels were. If it has the steel type insert it is OK. But, if it has the spray on "aerospace" type facing the only good is for a trash can base.. The plate you need is a Ford "Long" style.. Used by FoMoCo back in the sixties and seventies. Figure what the pressure plate/disc size should be by the diameter of the flywheel facing. The p-plates were available in weighted levers, non weighted and adjustable levers. Release bearings are another bag of worms. Try RAM clutches. I got so sick of the Scheifer junk back in the day I went to Webber, RAM and Zoom.
You can usually re-drill a flywheel for another pressure plate. With an alum part you need to make sure that you are in a thick spot for the holes. The bronze lining is not exactly what you want for a daily driver... .
Really sort of curious as to why several are saying these flywheels were not good for street use. Along about '63 I put one in a '53 Studebaker coupe behind a 327 SBC, except I used a 11" Borg and Beck pressure plate. A heavier flywheel would probably been better when I had a low numerical gear in it, but it worked fine with3.90:1 and above. Later I got into dirt oval racing and used the same flywheel and pressure plate til I got out of racing 7/8 years later and sold all my stuff. My flywheel had the bronze metal sprayed facing. Dave
my first schiefer flywheel was on a 283 and had a matching light weight pressure plate. I never found another and ran that flywheel on four different engines went thru several clutches never resurfaced the flywheel. I have a brand new (old stock)Schiefer Hemi flywheel and plans are for a street motor
I sold 100s of Schiefer flywheels back in the 60s..Most damaged ones were owner caused!!!!!!!Product itself is O K....
I ran the aluminum Scheifer flywheel with the sprayed on coating and long style clutch in my injected dragster in the 70s. Never had any kind of problems with it. Wish I hadn't sold it with the car.
I run one on my DeSoto Hemi on the street ... Just Fine ! I use a McCloud Clutch intended for a 440 MoPaR with an Early Ford type Release Bearing. The Nay Sayers Prolly have Never even Run One.
Well, I did run one, granted it was 40 years ago. Perhaps because I was a bit younger, perhaps it was the wheel, perhaps it was the combination of parts, but not a success story and that is what I remember. I'll defer to those using them now. .
Back in the sixties-early seventies I had a speed shop. My experience with Scheifer products was far from good and my warehouse/distributor had literally stacks of returns on the stuff. The biggest problems started with the spray on facing. I had several customers with high powered drag cars. The local strip was not known for traction and we all were experimenting with light wheels. My own car was a B/Gas car. I went thru three of the wheels/p-plates in a 7 week period. Properly installed with Scheifer components. I tried all the ideas their product people reccommended. All the time being told I was the ONLY ONE having problems. My customers were having similar experiences. Different styles of disc, different p-plates. The facing would gall, or delaminate from the pieces. Trying to get warranty was just exasperating. None of my serious drag race customers were happy with the products. I finally quit carrying their products as did the majority of the shops. Otherwise Scheifer would have been around for many more years.
ya i wanna try it, somtimes i just gotta see for myself and i do appreciate all the input from all, esp those of you with the grey (or no) hair. if i really like it i will probably buy a new aluminum wheel with the steel face. i dont want a bomb as my wife drives this thing and gets dumb with the loud pedal. any special disc i need to use with the bronze ? im hoping the light wheel will help when shifting at balls out drag racing as it will light the tires up too easily when slamming it to the next higher gear and it get's scary with a spool, and next spring a hotter cam.
Mr Bobcrman: Schiefer went out of business because Paul Schiefer died !!!!!!!!!! No other reason.......His son Carl was not business inclined and Joe Oliphant nor Holly Hedrich (employees)couldnt get a deal worked out...We were the largest distributor of these products in the state of Texas...and we did not have stacks of defects !!!
I thought Schiefer Manufacturing didn't really "go out of business", but was sold to the Hurst Corporation in the 1970s.
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