The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Ring gear issue:

My '54 235 ring gear is sharp, starter is grinding about every 3-4th start. Question is how hard is it to change out the gear, I have 2-good flywheels in my stash, not sure if they are correct for my clutch (both are 139 teeth). How much heat, any pre-cautions? I will take the opportunity to complete the change in transmission/driveline to the open '54 version I have. Just getting ready for the first major retrofit since my restoration, want to make sure of options on the ring gear.

We did one at the shop here a year or so ago for a 1916 Maxwell I believe. Anyway I'm pretty sure 300 degrees is what we were shooting for and it fell right on.

John

I believe they can be flipped over if you don't have another. I learned that on here.

There is a defined bevel on the ring gear teeth ........so flipping would be possible but not recommended. ( instructions on a new ring gear specifically show the install direction.

OP ....if you extra flywheel install as an assembly rather swapping the ring gear.

New .......Ring gears are available at several vendors. I got mine from the Filling Station. Install was easy....freezing the flywheel warming the ring gear on the grill. Original was broken on mine from rust, gear sitting in the dirt for years with inspection cover off.

I have also heard that to save money, you can heat it and spin it on the flywheel about 30 degrees.
If you look, there should be three different places on the ring that are worn.
That is because of a compression stroke on one of the cylinders coming up, so the engine generally stops rotating in those three spots.

Don

Believe I flipped one once, the teeth weren’t beveled on opposite side but it always started fine, really nothing to loose by trying.

It seems to me if you are going through all the job of pulling the flywheel, a guy would replace the gear unless he is on a real tight budget.

George

Thanks for the tips. I will check the filling station for a new one, I have the two used as well just in case. I plan on swapping to the open drive SM420 I have been saving. I want to do it right and budget is not an issue, I will put in a new clutch and throwout as well.

There are a couple of videos on YouTube that show a ring gear being replace on the flywheel.
This one seems to be done correctly Replacing a ring gear

"I will take the opportunity to complete the change in transmission/driveline to the open '54 version I have."
I don't understand what you are doing.
What tonnage of truck do you have 3/4 or 1/2 ?
Original Chevrolet '54 3/4 ton driveline came with 2 open drive shafts with a carrier bearing.
Prior to 54 the 3/4 ton 1941-53 front drive shaft was inside a torque tube.
Do you have a transmission with a torque tube tail housing and you are changing the tail housing to a open driveline?

Just curious would you have any film strips on the rebuilding of the 1941-53 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Propeller Shafts ?

My truck is a '50 but I run a '54 motor, bell housing and crossmember retrofit from a '54. I have the transmission and lines to finish the conversion. I will have to look through the strips, I still have hundreds I have not processed. Both my '50 and donor are 3600's.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8129071781/in/album-72157631867396207/

So when you are all done you will have installed a:
1954 3600 3/4 ton truck's 235 engine, bell housing, 4 speed transmission and the 2 open drive shafts with carrier bearing, into a 1950 3600 3/4 ton chassis.
I see you have swapped out the 1950 rear engine cross member for the 1954 rear engine cross member. 1954 rear engine mount change "courtesy tclederman"
When using the 1954 front drive shaft, does its carrier bearing support bracket line-up with the 1950 drive shaft carrier bearing cross member?

No big hurry with the film strip request.

Everything looks like it lines up, we will see pretty soon.

I have a NOS ring gear. There is no front or back to them.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...WE1zT3haWXJEMmZEWHJlamdORWNVMEtDVFRiVEV3

I heat the ring gear with a rose bud and flip it using a pair of welding gloves. I have done this on everything from GMC trucks to John Deere tractors.

As another data point:
Does not look like my Original or the replacement ring gear on my truck.

Factory GMC shop manual: “Make sure chamfered edge of the ring gear teeth are installed toward engine side of flywheel”.

Look at the teeth on the starter drive- - - -rhee is a definite bevel there to guide the gear into the flywheel ring teeth, so a bevel on the flywheel gear is not really necessary.
Jerry

When we had my truck engine (235.5 cu-in) and transmission out, my mechanic helper (with many years of operating garages) suggested removing the ring gear and flipping it around. We heated, removed and reinstalled it. This was done 8 yrs. ago, and thousands? of starts later I’ve had no problems.

Brad Allen hang your flywheel ring gear where you can heat it with your acetylene torch go around slowly till there is a haze following your torch,vise grip it on your cool flywheel should go righton there. Let it cool,if any gaps close-up with a drift punch. If ring gear has teeth that are v-shaped put them where starter drive hits them.

Use a gas grill with several burners and a hinged lid to heat the ring gear. It works a lot better than using a torch.

Watch this you tube video of wagon wheel builders sometime- - - -they build a fire around the iron tire and burn it down to coals, then drop it over the wooden wheel and use buckets of water and a garden hose to shrink it! Skip to about the 22 minute mark to see the tire installation.



Jerry

Brad heat it

I heat them with the torch on the back side. Keep the flame away from the teeth.
George