mazdaspeed7

I hold a steel bar against the flywheel in the cutout section , and beat the hell out of it with a BFH. The metal bar keeps you from bending the flywheel.

j9fd3s

keep the nut on 1-2 threads so that the flywheel doesnt fall off on you!

RETed

BFH and try NOT to hit the clutch disc mating surface.

I usually aim for the outside edge and not the inside, as the outside edge is flat.

If you're going to aim for the outside, watch out for the ring gear!



Yes, you swing THAT hard.



I've gotten good at it enough to gaurantee the flywheel pops off by 3 whacks. On average it only takes me two.





-Ted

mazdaspeed7

I dont think I was clear enough on how I do it. I hit the backside of the flywheel by the intake and exhaust ports. A few good hits is all it ever takes.

T04SFD

Thanks mazdaspeed 7

I will try that

BDC

Timing gear puller from Autozone, a chunk of high grade steel for the center, and a pair of M10x1.25mm 50mm+ bolts.. Does the trick well and doesn't damage anything.



B

mazdaspeed7

Maybe I just had a flywheel that was put on with hells fury, but I had this one flywheel that broke 2 3/4" breaker bars tryign to get the nut loose, it eventually took a diesel truck shop to get the nut off, got the engine home, and then proceeded to break a flywheel puller and a crow bar trying to get the flywheel off. I eventually got it off, but it took a lot of work.



I havent tried a puller since.

Lynn E. Hanover

First, refer to the other strings on removing the flywheel.



Second, forget anything that involves the words "Pry" or "Hit" as in Big Hammer or Crow bar or the like.



Any blow that is struck in a fore or aft direction makes small fractures in the thrust bearings and bends the thrust plate. If you have beat the flywheel off already, discard the hard washer on the back of the front counter weight, both bearings, the thrust plate and the hard washer at the front of the first throw.



Same thing if you "Pry" on the wheel with a bar of any kind.



Put a piece of plate stock over the end of the crank to protect it. Use the steering wheel puller because it uses the existing bolt holes in the wheel. Just take a good strain on the steering wheel puller, or the official puller from Racing Beat, and heat around the center of the flywheel with the cutting head of your acetylene torch. Just loosen the nut enough to leave a 1/8" gap between the nut and the wheel. The wheel will come loose with a bang. If you leave the nut off, it will fall off onto you foot. It may then ruin the ring gear or that puller you borrowed.



Install a new rear seal as the hot flywheel center will have changed the old seal to junk, even if it still looks good.



So now you have the flywheel off and no damage to the thrust system or flywheel at all.



In the event that you have no way of removing the nut. You are not alone. It is torqued to over 300 foot pounds, and, may have been Loctited.



First, heat the crap out of the nut with your torch. The heat will fail the Locktite (if any), and the nut will get a bit bigger with the heat. Then with the 2 1/8" socket and the 3/4" to 1/2" and a breaker bar all from Sears try the nut. No luck? try an impact gun. No luck? take the whole works to anyone who works on trucks. Take the socket with you. A 3/4 impact gun will take it off. No luck?



Drill a pair of 1/4" holes side by side in the nut in line with the crank. With a sharp chisel cut through the outside of the nut at 90 degrees to the crank. The nut will fail through the holes and will come right off.



Install a new nut to within 1/8" of the flywheel surface before pulling the flywheel.



Even if there was a locking plate under the nut when you started, throw it away and on rebuild run the nut on with just a light film of Locktite on the mating face of the nut. No Locktite on the threads. If any amount of Locktite gets onto the bearing, it will destroy the bearing. No locking plate.



Finished second on Sunday. Shifting at 9,700 RPM. Water 165 degrees, oil 180 degrees, oil pressure 100 PSI.





Lynn E. Hanover

GMON

I have the mazda puller but prefer to just smack it once or twice. I dont see this type of damage happening from that. Maybe other people hit it more than me or something but there is no way I am wrecking the thrust washers. Certianly no more than a centerforce clutch being dropped at 5k. That much iorn absorbs a ton of force. Thats why it just falls off when you hit it.

RETed

I'm too lazy to deal with anything else, and I've broken a *Racing Beat* flywheel puller before.



Uh, I usually yank everything in the front section, so there is no thrust washer to get damaged.



Prying will get me no where, and I usually end up chipping crap underneath.



Sure, a stronger and well designed puller will work, but I don't usually lug one around. And, currently, I'm in Europe and lugging something that heavy will usually cause the same security people to stop me during travel!





-Ted