The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1954, 235 flywheel ring gear

I was having some problems with my starter engauging into the flywheel.

I was scraping off the mud, crud and road tar off the under side last night, so I took off the flywheel inspection cover and I saw where I have a few rounded teeth on the ring gear. Thus causing the starter to grind.

Assuming this ring gear is heat shrunk onto the flywheel. Can I remove the ring gear and flip it around and use the other side of the teeth. OR just by a new ring gear. If I need to completely replace the ring gear how do I go about ordering one? Knowing the are "XX" amount of teeth on the ring gear since I am using a 6 volt starter, with 12 volts(don't know if that matters or not)

I was thinking that that on a 12 volt starter there are so many teeth and then there are so many teeth on a 6 starter. OR maybe it was the starter bendix. I really can't remember what I was told.

ANYHOW, where do I find a new flywheel ring gear, if I need to buy one?

I am getting ready to replace the clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing and of course resurface the flywheel, before winter gets here.

John

Mine is the same way. Bought starter drive years ago that didn't solve the problem. the fork that engages starter drive wears and doesn't engage drive as deeply as it should. I have 6V starter for years running 12V. Now I have a new ring gear that I got from chevs of the 40's riding under seat. Read down and you will see I am switching to Hydramatic driveline if I can clear all obstacles and then I won't need the new gear. Guess I should choose one direction and stick with it huh?

As long as the ring gear hasn't already been flipped sometime in the past and the teeth are in good condition, I would think that would be the way to go.

6V chevy ring gears have 139 teeth
12 chevy ring gears have 168 teeth
You can heat the ring gear with a propane torch and sweat it off, then flip and sweat it back on.

NAPA has the 168 tooth version, they may also have the 139 tooth version also in their counter catalog. Good luck finding the old codger that knows how to read the book. Or do like I do, flip the book around on the counter and find it yourself. :rolleyes:

chip

I RECENTLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A 6 VOLT STARTER I HAD PUT ON A 1955 235 THE DRIVE GEAR WOULD SLIDE OUT TO ENGAGE THE STARTER BUT DID NOT FIT THE FLYWHEEL.

AFTER COUNTING THE TEETH I HAD A 168 TOOTH FLYWHEEL SO I GOT ANOTHER USED STARTER OFF A 235

AFTER COMPARING THE DRIVE GEARS, ONE HAD A SMALLER DIAMETER DRIVE GEAR

AFTER INSTALLING THE ONE WITH A SMALLER DRIVE GEAR IT WOULD ENGAGE BUT NOT SPIN THE ENGINE.
TOOK IT BACK OUT AND TO A AUTO ELECTRIC REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS TESTED AND THE DRIVE GEAR WAS BAD, COST ABOUT 20 DOLLARS TO REPAIR. THE REPAIR MAN SAID THE DRIVE GEAR ALSO ROTATES ON THE OUTWARD STROKE BEFORE ENGAGING THE FLYWHEEL... WHERE THE OTHER STARTER WITH THE LARGER DIA. GEAR WAS JUST A STRAIGHT OUTWARD MOTION WITH NO SPIN BEFORE ENGAGING THE FLYWHEEL

NOW MY ENGINE STARTS FINE { JUST REBUILT }
BUT I GOT SOME PLAY IN THE DISTBUTOR
I HAVE 2 LAYING ON THE BENCH.. I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM A TRY BEFORE GETTING A REBUILT UNIT

The ring gears I have all have bevels on the starter side of the teeth to help it engage easier, so you may notice accelerated wear of the pinion on the starter if you flip it around. There is also a bevel cut into the flywheel and ring gear that may not be present on the flip side of the gear.

I have gone around the block on ring gears as I adapted a 261 flywheel to fit a 216 6 volt ring gear. The inner diameters of the ring gears are not the same between the two, at least between the '62 11" clutch flywheel and the '50 216 flywheel. I had a machine shop turn down the '62 flywheel to fit the early ring gear so I could use the footstomp '50 starter.

As far as removal and installation of the ring gear, a propane bbq grill works really well for both removal and installation because it heats evenly. If you use your grill take the top grill out first so you don't get grease and oil all over your food contact surface. Be sure to wear welder's gloves, too, since a 20 lb chunk of cast iron holds a lot of heat.