Right,

I'm getting really miffed here.

I've got three pre-engaged flywheels.

A Normal
A Balanced
A Caterham lightened.

The caterham doesn't work with the pre-engaged or inertia flywheel
The balanced works with the pre-engaged and the inertia turns it but the starter stays engaged.
I haven't bothered with the standard one.

I can't fit the pre-engaged as it fouls my exhaust (which cost me 200 quid so i'm loath to change that).

I've been told by redline that pre-engaged ring gears are a different size to inertia so aren't swapable.

Is there anything i can do to get either my inertia to work with the pre-engaged, get a pre-engaged with the solonoid in a different place or change the ring gear?

(or as per my wanted, does anyone have a flywheel they don't want?)

This has been stumping me off and on for a year now !!!!!!!!!

(p.s. i know sierra automatic's have the solonoid in the opposite place to the normal starters but im 95% certain this will foul my sump)

If you can't fit a pre engaged starter you need an inertia starter and the ring gear for it.

If the flywheel you want to use has the wrong type of ring gear then you really need to just buy a new ring gear. Then you simply split the old ring gear off and put the new one on, making sure the chamfers on the teeth face the right way.

The new ring gear is fitted by first heating evenly (cobalt blue as I recall), then slipping it square on to the clean cool flywheel right back to the shoulder, and allowing to cool in place.

I'm happy to help if you want. I've done it before, but need to revise on the correct temperature. I expect the ring gear comes with heating instructions for safe temp anyway.

Dave

[Edited on 14/5/06 by Dave Ashurst]

Had the starter problem with my exhaust. Ended up making a couple of spacers out of exhaust flanges to move it out by an inch and its done the trick. Plenty of space between exhaust and starter motor now.

Took me a while to work out which way to go, modify the exhaust, get an intertia starter (plus rewire the car) or the auto starter and modify the sump!

If you want I can zap some pics up tomorrow for you.

Can't help with the flywheel problem though.

Chris

Pictures yes please.

Dave - the issue is that i've been told by raceline that when i remove the ring gear off the pre-engaged flywheel the inertia ring gear ID is different to the pre-engaged OD & they don't fit.

Going to call burton tomorrow to see if thats really the case.

Thanks for the offer of help - seen a thing in my autodata book saying heat to 204 degrees. got a digital temperature gauge on the oven that will do 205 so should be ok but i might still call upon you're help

Yes - it is a slightly different diameter - but that's just to make sure that it locates in the right place on the flywheel rim. The ring gear is in a different place for each kind of starter.

David

Mike,

Perhaps Raceline were advising you about their own flyheel design?

I removed a pre engaged ring gear and replaced it with an inertia starter ring gear on a crossflow flywheel no probs.

You've got 3 flywheels. I bet at least 2 if not all of them will fit.

If you want to borrow a flywheel with inertia ring gear to measure, compare, test your starter etc in the meantime then see me.

Dave

Dave. Thanks for what you've just written. Measured my flywheels and checked on the burton site.

Guess who's buying a flywheel tomorrow

Oooooooooh i'm going to be sooooo happy soon Even bid on a new (recon) starter motor on ebay.

Thanks for the offer, this time next year i'll pop round in the car

well ...... maybe