AMEN! I have posted several times about the problems associated with aluminum
flywheels on the street, both here and on the 510 list, and often get flak from
folks who think I am being too cautious or something. After I and several others
complained to Tilton they recognized this problem and started including steel
sleeve inserts for engines where there was a chance of this. All you have to do
is see this happen once and you get a bit paranoid too. Aluminum flywheels are
meant to be used in applications like race cars where they are regularly torn
down and inspected. If you *must* run aluminum on the street, have the bolt
holes sleeved with steel tubing and have a steel ring made up that goes under
all the bolts (one big washer with a center hole and holes for all the crank
bolts rather than individual washers under each bolt). Even then the issue of
the clutch bolts going into aluminum may eventually come back to haunt you. It's
still good to inspect everything once a year or so just to be safe.
datsunmike wrote:
>
> Last weekend I went back to the shop which is rebuilding my engine and on
> the floor were a turbo Mitsubishi engine and a supercharged Honda engine.
> Both were using aluminum flywheels and the flywheels exploded from wear of
> the flywheel bolt holes which caused them to go off center and placed
> exceptional stress on them which caused them to disintegrate. Needless to
> say the crank was not the only part which was severely damaged.
>
> If you intend to use an aluminum flywheel on the street have a machine shop
> put steel inserts on the flywheel bolt holes and as the shop suggested flat
> washers and locktite.
--
Marc Sayer
82 280ZXT
71 510 2.5 Trans Am vintage racer
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