Looking for recommendation of where to source a starter ring gear for my 6-volt 235. Should be 139 teeth. I see they are available from some of the normal suppliers. Not sure of the quality though. Would it be best to search for NOS?
Finding a NOS part that was most recently installed on a 1954 engine might be a challenge. How about just flipping the ring gear you already have over? Unless teeth are missing, the back side will look like it's brand new. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
There's a sneaky trick I use when installing a ring gear. Use an old fashioned round charcoal grill big enough to put the ring gear inside, fire up a good bed of coals, and put the ring gear on the grate. Put the lid on, and chill out for a while- - - - one six pack is usually about right. The grill will assure that the gear is heated evenly all the way around and will expand enough to fall onto the flywheel. Open the grill, grab the ring gear with Vise Grips and a pair of welder's gloves and drop it over the cleaned-up step of the flywheel. As it cools, tap it with a hardwood block and a dead blow mallet to be sure it seats evenly all the way around. Good luck! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Jerry, are the teeth on the ring gears beveled on the back side so the starter gear sides in easy or do you need to grind each tooth a little to take the sharp corner off?
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
The flywheels I have on hand have teeth that are are pretty much squared-off. It wouldn't hurt to bevel the teeth a little, but the starter drive pinion teeth have a pretty good bevel on them, and a 6V starter moves the drive pinion straight forward as it engages. The 12V drive rotates a little due to a helix built into the drive and the armature shaft. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I never document the year Chevrolet made the change, but some are, and some are not beveled on the leading edge of the teeth. See picture.
I sharpened all the teeth on flywheels I worked on, just to insure that the starter did not grind. This is most important on 12 volt conversions where a 6 volt starter is used, as the starter starts spinning so fast, it doesn’t have time to engage in the teeth.
Good idea- - - -it would be a pretty simple matter to set up a jig for a small angle grinder to get a uniform bevel on all the teeth, similar to what's used to sharpen a chain saw. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Dave: Just curious, what application would use a 2 degrees AFTER TDC ball?
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
DennisM to be sure get it at your chevy dealer,if you turn your old one over or use new hang on a wire heat with your torch till a haze is following your flame lay it on there. If any gaps drive up tight with a punch.