What happens if i don resurface my flywheel

Labor costs are usually the most expensive part of any intensive job, such as changing a clutch, so its recommended to get the flywheel resurfaced every time the clutch is replaced.

Or it will at least be very costly. What is a flywheel? How to Clean a Flywheel Wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap before handling your vehicle's flywheel.

Spray a light, even coat of brake cleaner on the surface of the flywheel. Scrub the surface of the flywheel with the rough dish cleaning pad. Spray the surface of the flywheel with brake cleaner again. A flywheel can crack on the friction surface from heat caused by a slipping clutch. The ring gear on a flex plate and a flywheel can fail.

They can wear from normal wear and tear, but usually fail because the teeth on the gear are ground away or even break off from a bad or week starter motor. Some sources say you should have the flywheel resurfaced every time you need to do work on your clutch.

Auto parts stores and service centers that do not resurface flywheels include: AutoZone. Monro Auto Service and Tire Centers. Pep Boys. The clutch disc isn't resurfaced , but it can be rebuilt. New friction lining and new torsional springs replace the existing pieces. They gradually become worn as they are consistently used in the vehicle. If your flywheel becomes too worn out or damaged, there will be some noticeable symptoms that you won't be able to ignore.

Worn starter drive components, worn bushings in the starter, improper shimmed starters on vehicles that use shims, weak batteries and aged equipment cause flywheel problems. Most engines will stop in the same stop each time the engine is shutoff.

That causes the same spot on the flywheel to be engaged each start. The most common problem is that the starter gear has broken and is making noise. The less common of the two is that the teeth of the flywheel have been worn down. All Search Everything.

User Name Remember Me? Author Thread. How do you know your flywheel needs to be resurfaced? If it were never resurfaced what is the spec that determines it needs to be? From my 3. I just now saw that you replied below. I can merge if you want. I think you're right, I think the triangles denote a surface roughness spec. If you think about what the flywheel surface does, it provides a surface for the clutch disc to mate.

Accordingly, it needs to be very flat, not warped from heat, and free of surface imperfections. Given both those thoughts I would consider looking for a new flywheel. I don't think cracks are just a surface phenomenon, like blue heat distortion or scratches would be-- they indicate that the metal has changed dimensions enough for the cracks to propogate.

Flywheel Specifications. Excessive localized heat can cause the friction surface to work harden, and those areas can be harder than the tip of a carbide tool bit.

I would recommend finding a machine shop that uses a grinding wheel to refinish the flywheel; same with brake rotors and brake drums. John: Yeah I didn't get much response on that other thread so I started one of my own By the responses I think I found a collective hole in the knowledge base.

Sherwood: Good point on work hardening. I'll have to look around for a surface grinder that works on rotating surfaces. I may just simply go for a new lightened fly, but Bruce Anderson recommends against it in his book The motor spins up fine after 18 months of not driving it I think I remember it We'll see what it costs to resurface it with a grinder.

Steve Rennsport. You should look for someone with a Blanchard Grinder, preferably with a magnetic table that makes it easier. I never resurface flywheels, instead preferring to replace them as I cannot afford any comebacks, With all due respect to Bruce A. Steve- Do brand new flywheels still need to be checked, and possibly lightly machined, before being installed?

If you're the type that requires engine parts be balanced, you'll probably want to perform the same with a new flywheel, just to make sure. NB Konis. RB front brace. RB cat-back. Comp engine mts. Would it be a good idea to pull the pilot bearing, or leave that sleeping dog lie as well? At , you are probably on your second or third clutch, and if I did not know that the pilot bearing had been done during some prior service, I probably would do that.

Just my thoughts, N. Dennis Nicholls. For some odd reason, the Miata pilot bearing is a common failure point. I had to do a clutch job because of a seized pilot bearing. Even if you don't need to "machine" the flywheel, take it off. It's much easier to change a pilot bearing with the flywheel on the workbench. And it's easy to rough up the clutch mating surface with some emery paper without worrying about grit getting into the pilot bearing.

Change the pilot bearing.. Parroting Dennis.. I had to do a clutch replacement also due to a crapped pilot bearing This is what you want: a clean flywheel with a roughed up clutch mating surface after scouring with grit emery paper. A loose flywheel lets you tap the old pilot bearing out and the new one in without special tools, just a hammer and a socket.

I've NEVER done a clutch service in my life with out surfacing the flywheel and replacing the pilot bushing, the PO who had my car before me told the clutch was just done a couple hundred miles ago??? WOW I would not want the monkey he had working on the car around me or my shop!! I could not get the car into reverse with it idling, the PO said that his mechanic told him the tranny was worn and would replacing soon. I dropped the tranny, removed the clutch, flywheel, installed a new slave and master cylinder, resurfaced the flywheel, installed a new pilot bearing, throw out and clutch set up with all new components this is now the easiest clutch in the world to push, plus it goes into gear with out any issues.

Originally Posted by davisharr. If I'm not mistaken I have seen people at , on original clutch? Don't know why you would have to change it that much, I'm at about , miles on original.

Originally Posted by Dennis Nicholls. I just did an 01 clutch with only 79k miles