Flywheel removal

[355cid]

I recently found myself having to pull the flywheel off my 86 Vmax so I thought I should share my experience with other members who've never done that job. After breaking my generic harmonic balancer puller I used a 7 ton capacity 3-jaw puller to finally get it off. I've never came so close to snapping my 1/2" drive breaker bar in my life. I had a 5' pipe locking the puller jaws and a 3' cheater bar on the breaker bar. Just push on the crank and apply as much pressure as you think it should take- then triple it. I used a 5/8 impact socket, 3/8 drive and pushed on the square drive end. I tried pushing on the crank bolt and promptly bent it. Use zip ties to hold the starter ring gear to the flywheel so you don't have to crawl around your garage floor finding little springs and stuff like I did.:bang head: It will come off but it's a real S.O.B.

 

[one2dmax]

You need to watch our video.

 

[GREEN light BLITZ]

Where would I find that video? Mine will NOT COME OFF!

 

[satariel666]

Dont wanna bite you Ace but here we go again LOL

Sean has some good videos on youtube - check his section on this forum or search one2dmax on youtube.

Firstable you need "very good" puller.

 

[GREEN light BLITZ]

Lmao yeah I'm a little clueless on the internals of the max at this point so there's ganna be alot of these "here we go again" moments until I get my max running again. I'm putting off calling Sean until I have all the right questions written down and lined up so I'm not takin too much of his time talkin myself in circles!

 

[satariel666]

Actually if you do not plan to fix your starter clutch then, crank may go off with flywheel still in place.

 

[gamorg02]

i had to use a jaw puller after the bolt from the harmoic puller BROKE OFF in my flywheel... ugh...

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=15904

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I have never had much luck with the crow foot pullers, started using a "Jaw" puller and never had a failure since, it may take a litttle time to find one that fits just right....Just keep the jaws away from the magnet "tits" on the circumference of the flywheel.....

An impact wrench is a MUST! I've got one off with a breakover but it's a total pain in the ass compared to banging on it with an Impact....

Sometimes a little heat on the "nose" of the flywheel will help.....

Plus putting as much tension on the puller as you dare and then banging on the flywheel, (CAREFULLY, avoiding damnaging it) while it's tensioned up......


Leave the loose bolt in place backed out some and put the point of the puller in the dimple on the bolt or you'll be wearing that flywheel when it comes off

 

[ninjaneer]

starter clutch upgrade is my next project. i really need to get at it but i must say i'm intimidated by the flywheel. sean makes it looks SO easy, but there are so many horror stories being posted. anyways my next questions are, and they're gonna be stupid ones: i guess it would be obvious once i was in there, but once/if i get the flywheel off do i have to remove the puller in order to service the clutch and if so how easy/hard is it to do this? any tricks? once the clutch has been serviced, what are the steps to reassemble? torque numbers, etc?

 

[GREEN light BLITZ]

Well I stopped just short of breaking a GOOD puller...so I did what I should in the first place, I decided I'm leaving it on the crank when I split the case. Really no need to remove it. Just makin extra work for myself...again.

 

[355cid]

I had left my flywheel on my crank but I got in a big-ass hurry and put the short block all together without remembering to put the oil deflector on the upper case 1/2. The flywheel covers the screws so I had 2 choices, pull the flywheel or undo everything and split the cases again. I figured I'd better nail down the whole flywheel removal thing in case I ever needed to do starter clutch work. It will be easier next time because I know going in what I'm up against. Anywho, I just wanted to post this chapter of this rebuild to give encouragement to other Forum members who feel like God has abandoned them and their flywheel ain't ever coming off. I can't thank Mr. Morley enough for all the help that he has so selflessly given to me in this build.

 

[CaptainKyle]

starter clutch upgrade is my next project. i really need to get at it but i must say i'm intimidated by the flywheel. sean makes it looks SO easy, but there are so many horror stories being posted. anyways my next questions are, and they're gonna be stupid ones: i guess it would be obvious once i was in there, but once/if i get the flywheel off do i have to remove the puller in order to service the clutch and if so how easy/hard is it to do this? any tricks? once the clutch has been serviced, what are the steps to reassemble? torque numbers, etc?

If you really wanna do it I guess I could have another tech day & take some of the worries off of you. I have a nice puller & have done plenty of them.

 

[ninjaneer]

If you really wanna do it I guess I could have another tech day & take some of the worries off of you. I have a nice puller & have done plenty of them.

Thanks for the offer. I hate refusing expert help and I'm not--just gonna put the offer in my back pocket, go for it this or next weekend, and if I meet my match, I'll bring the job over to the next Tech Day. I love getting my hands dirty and based on everyone's comments, it sounds like I can handle this--just have to have the correct tools and 3/4 of the battle is already won. At any rate, I still would love to get together for tech day for whatever reason it is organized

 

[ninjaneer]

alright, folks. tackling the flywheel. i've already hit my first road block--the effin center bolt. wtf. i'm hitting it with my impact, but the effer don't wanna budge. lefty-loosing, no?

EDIT: NEVERMIND. I'm just a weakling and forgot who's in charge. I just took my breaker bar to it unk:

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Lefty loosy yes