Flywheel balancing

Can anyone in the UK recommend a machine shop to "mirror balance" a flywheel? By this I mean to balance the smaller V6 flywheel I will need to fit to replace the flywheel my Ford small block comes with. The idea is that rather than rebalancing the whole assembly I should only need to get the replacement flywheel balanced to have the same characteristics as the one it replaces.

Brian Yeomans

 

[Richard Knight]

Sorry can't help, but if you do get an answer, please contact me as I'm nearly in the same situation.

Cheers

Richard
[email protected]

 

I'm heading towards that point too. Stupid question time...Why cant you use the original flywheel?

 

It's too big (diameter) to fit, certainly with the adaptor plate and Audi 016 box I'm using. I understood using the V6 flywheel was the "usual" solution to the space problem.

Brian Yeomans

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Terry,
If you use a Renault and get the special bell-housing, then you can use a 302 flywheel. If you use an 016, due to the way it is made, you have to have an adapter plate made and custom flywheel etc. If you are going that route and haven't built your engine, then you can get one form Kennedy Engineering and get it shipped to the UK.

Brett

 

[Frank Catt]

Brian / Terry, we have just done an installtion for a CAV useing a one piece Chris Cole bellhousing and Renault gearbox. This works quite well with this chassis. Also included is the right hand rod shift system. Frank

 

[colin artus]

The best: Basset Down Balancing 01793 812 331 (swindon)

 

Hi Brett/Frank.
I've got a Renault GTA Alpine Gearbox. The one where you apparently have to invert it or flip the diff over. Does this mean I can use the "special bell-housing" and if so, where can I get one and roughly how much?
Many thanks to all for helping!

 

A postscript to this question for anyone in the UK wanting to get this done - Real Steel know how to do it. I tried Bassett Down Balancing who probably would have been fine except their head guy is out of action for several weeks.

Brian Yeomans

 

[Charlie M]

What about this side of the pond? Anyone know where to get it done in the northeast, preferably MA?

Charlie

 

[Howard Jones]

I would think that any machine shop that can ballance a flywheel should be able to do it. Theirs a couple of guys within a 1/2 hour drive from me. Bring along the clutch.

 

[David Tickle]

Brett

Something I've been trying to figure out for a while is that to the best of my knowledge, my 302 has a standard 302 flywheel, clutch, starter motor and is fitted to a Renault 30 gearbox with standard (I think) Renault bellhousing. The adaptor plate is about 20mm thick. I'm not with the car at the moment so can't check this.
The point is, I've seen several times statements that the standard Ford flywheel is too large a diameter for the Renault bellhousing, but mine seems to fit.
There has been one point of contact with the rotating clutch which has centrifugal weights. Part of an internal web on the bellhousing casting has been ground away to clear the weights. Other than that, it all fits.

Any comment?

Regards

Dave Tickle

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Dave,
Interesting, any pics?

Brett

 

[Julian West]

this picture shows a 'GTD sized' (V6?) flywheel laid on top of a stock 302 flywheel. The difference in dia is not huge.

 

This is all great background info as a prepare for the build.

I have a more basic question in regards to balancing. I have read that Ford does not perfectly balance (0) the engines. Why does ford use a balance factor (28?) instead of balancing the recip to 0?

I am not 100% clear /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif on this and would apreciate some input.

Cheers

 

DOh. Penney drops. Is the balnace factor due to the engine being externally balanced? i.e. like the 400 Chevy small block?

SO if you have the recip balanced internally you can use a 0 balnced Damper and Flywheel?

And if you do this are there dampers available for the SBF that are 0 balanced?

 

[colin artus]

Getting neutral balance on a 302 with a cast crank is not really possible - there's not enough mass in the counterweights. A forged crank has the extra density, and therefore mass, to make it possible. Note that long rod/stroker combinations will also suffer from difficulty in achieving wholly neutral balance at both ends of the crank.

Colin Artus

 

[David Tickle]

Brett
Sorry, no pics and I'm out of the country at the moment. The reason I'm not sure is that I bought the car part completed so didn't source the parts myself. The clutch is large size (unlike the pics of the racing types) with a deep cover and has FOMOCO stamped on it. I assume the weights act under centrifugal force to press the pressure plate harder to the clutch plate as revs increase.

I think the mating ring was supplied by Hi Tech Welding (or similar) in the North East. I had to mill it down to bring the bell housing and first motion shaft closer to the flywheel.

Regards
Dave Tickle