Ring gear slipping on flywheel

[32 Chevy]

A week or so ago I posted about the 32 chev not starting... Well, it is not the easy answer, the starter is fine. The problem is that the ring gear is slipping on the flywheel when the starter is engaged.

This is a morphodite rig as the engine is a highly modified Buick 215 putting out about 315 h.p. The flywheel is a Ford 5.0  10 inch turned to fit a ring gear from a Buick 300. I imagine that the builder who is no longer with us sweated the ring gear in place. So, can I just hit the ring/ flywheel with a few tacks from the MIG to lock it together or do I have to do something more involved?

As usual, thanks in advance...

Dave R

[unklian]

I'd rather use a TIG,and flow the two together in a few spots.
That way ,I wouldn't worry about balance.

[GPster]

Look at the forum on "Hand Drill Repair Question" but disregard the "Slams" on being cheap. I don't know alot about tempers in metal but I would think that  starter ring gear is somewhat hardened. I'd be concerned about trying to heat those two metals enough so that they would flow together. One stange idea would be to tank the ring gear off the flywheel and have the two pieces chromed. Then chill the flywheel and warm the ring gear and press them back together. GPster

[ventport]

If you take it apart you could knurl the flywheel where the ring gear press fits on, or hit it with a sharp center punch all around the surface of the flywheel where the ring gear fits onto.  Neither of these would affect the balance but would require flywheel removal.  You could also try center punching right where the ring gear meets the flywheel all around the circumference of the flywheel through the hole that the starter fits into, or under the oil pan if the access plate gives enough room. I would try this first as the flywheel doesn't need to be removed to do it.  Brian

[kb426]

I'd weld it with my tig. I'd measure 4 equal spots, (count the number of teeth and divide by 4) and weld about 1" per spot.

[Ed ke6bnl]

I'd weld it with my tig. I'd measure 4 equal spots, (count the number of teeth and divide by 4) and weld about 1" per spot.

\
What about a ring of silver soldier ? wouldn't need to get it as hot?? Ed

[Jokester]

Had one in the shop once that did that.  55 Chevy V8 w/ aluminum flywheel.

We drilled small holes between the teeth in the ring gear and straight into the flywheel.  Drove roll pins into the flywheel far enouth that they were not going to get hit by the starter drive gear.  I think we only did about 4 or 5 pins.  Worked fine.

my 2 cents.

.bjb

[enjenjo]

Well, I can see a problem welding it if it's a cast iron flywheel. I know in the past, on trucks, we removed the ring gear, shrunk it, and reinstalled it.

Shrinking was done by heating a portion of the ring gear and quenching it, and repeating as needed. then by heating the whole ring gear until it will drop on a cold flywheel, it should never move again. The reheat tempers the quench you did while shrinking it.

Of course, at that point, you could replace the ring gear with a new one too.

Pinning it doesn't sound too bad, and could be done with it installed.

[kb426]

My thought was that because it was from the 5.0 Ford it would be steel and not cast. If it is cast, then I'd be nervous about welding. Heat causes cracks in cast. period.

[enjenjo]

I don't know if it's iron or steel, but I'd like to know before I welded it.