Ah! It's my return to the flywheel questions!!!! I'll make it easy this time. I was gettin' ready to bolt the flywheel on (manual trans) and noticed in the Centerforce isntructions something about dowels on the flywheel (if I'm reading it correctly). I have a new flywheel that has no dowels in it. Do I need to worry about this or can I just bolt up the pressure plate and disc and forget it? If I need new ones do I just buy some and tap them in? What's the deal?

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Tom H.
Member #259
www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/ (http://www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/)

[This message has been edited by TH (edited 08-24-99).]

[This message has been edited by TH (edited 08-24-99).]

Hi Tom,

These instructions came with my Lakewood Bellhousing. Is that what you're referring to? There are two dowels on the back of the block which locate the bellhousing to the centerline of the crank. The instuctions explain how to check it with a dial indicator, and if it's more than .005" off in any direction, the offset dowel pins will correct this. I checked this on mine and was only a couple thousandths off. So I didn't need the new pins.

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JeffK ACES #01510
Team Chevelle Gold #72
JeffK@chevelles.com
www.athenet.net/~chevelle (http://www.athenet.net/~chevelle)

[This message has been edited by JeffK (edited 08-24-99).]

I believe that the reference to dowels applies to aligning the flywheel housing to the crank. This means that the pilot hole for the transmission is concentric with the crank and that the rear face of the housing is perpendicular to the crank axis. This is all checked with a dial indicator attached to the craksn or flywheel.This is done so that your trans will shift properly and stay in top gear.

Sorry, I've been unclear. This is not in reference to the dowels in the block that locate the bellhousing. These dowels would be on the flywheel itself.

To quote from my Centerforce instruction sheet:

"To insure proper operation, friction surface of flywheel MUST be resurfaced. Check Dowell Pins. MUST be smooth and straight."

For the record, I've already checked bellhousing runout with a dial gauge. We're up to spec on that.

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Tom H.
Member #259
www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/ (http://www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/)



[This message has been edited by TH (edited 08-24-99).]

Some flywheels have three small dowel pins that locate the clutch cover. Most Chevy's I've worked on don't have these pins. Personally, I don't think they're really required as long as you have the shouldered clutch bolts, which you should have anyway. My opinion, YMMV.

Tom

I thought only the 400 SB cranks had dowel pins for the flywheel to allow for the external balancing

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Frank W
Melrose MA
Gen X Member#22 (MA)
73 Malibu Coupe
hometown.aol.com/folingo/myhomepage/auto.html (http://hometown.aol.com/folingo/myhomepage/auto.html)
Mighty 305 Power

Yeah, see, this is why I was asking. I understand that not all flywheels had them (the instructions say "if originally equipped") and I was just wondering if mine should have them or not. Sounds like "not."

Thanks again, everyone.

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Tom H.
Member #259
www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/ (http://www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/)

The 400 small block and 454 are externally balanced with weights on the flywheel. The dowel properly indexes the flywheel for proper balancing. The dowel would also take the shear load if the bolts weren't tight enough.

Tom
I believe the instructions are referring to small dowels sticking out of the clutch side of the flywheel between the bolt holes. I don't think Chevy's came with these, the six shouldered bolts will align your clutch fine.

Tom

YES! THAT'S what I was referring to! Since I had a new flywheel I wasn't sure if I needed to install them or not. I've decided not to worry about it as I have a set of ARP pressure plate bolts with the correct shoulder.
Matter of fact, I bolted it all up last night...and then realized I left the block saver plate sitting in the corner of the garage. Oh well, twice is nice!

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Tom H.
Member #259
Indianapolis,IN www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/ (http://www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/)