Yet another entry in the seemingly endless saga of my Talon "restoration" (more like getting it back in good enough shape to pass inspection and drive for now). Apologies for so many of them.

I took my flywheel to be resurfaced today and the machinist said that between the glazing, warping and runout (the fiction surface gets slightly thinner towards the inside edge), he thinks he'd have to take off more surface than is allowable, and I'd have clutch disc engagement issues, and I might need a new one.

Now he didn't have a dial mic (or whatever it's called) which is the other reason I didn't have him machine it. I have to find a machinist who has one so he can tell me if this is true. If it is, I need a new flywheel. If not, I'm getting quotes of well over $100 for a resurfacing around here, which makes me think that I might as well double that and get a new one and be done with it.

This is a wrinkle I wasn't anticipating. Thing is, I need to put the front end back together and move the car by the end of the week because it's in a neighbor's driveway and they need it out of there by then, and this isn't enough time to figure out and solve the new flywheel issue, along with some other issues.

So I'm wondering, can I put the old flywheel back on, install the new SBC Stage 2 DD clutch kit, and drive the car 5-10 miles or so to get it inspected so I can legally park the car on the street without it getting a ticket, at which point I'd have enough time to figure all this out along with some other issues that I won't be able to get to in such a short timeframe? Or would even such a short distance damage the new clutch?

I'm already cutting other short-term corners to get this out of their driveway, like reusing the old trans oil (filtering it first of course) and not replacing a bunch of things I really need to, like trans seals, all fluids, belts, plugs, filters, etc. They're ALL going to get replaced soon, in fact I already have most of them, just not before I move the car out of the driveway. I'm just wondering if the car is safe to drive the short 5-10 mile distance to and back from an inspection station so I can then park it on the street.

Alternatively, if this is not advised, I might be able to just wheel the car, not under power, to another nearby driveway, and keep it there for the several weeks it should take to complete the work.

10 miles on the old flywheel isn't going to hurt anything, go for it. Keep an eye on the classifieds here, flywheels pop up all the time. I got a lightly used ACT Streetlight on the classifieds, I absolutely love it.

Thanks. The list of things I'm not going to be able to get to for now is long and growing, but then I guess that's what happens when you have an overly ambitious agenda for restoring a 28 year old car that's been sitting around for over five years and needs a lot of work, nothing truly major like an engine rebuild but way more than just an oil change and new shocks. I'll do what I need to do to get it moving and legal again, then finish the rest without having to rush things and potentially make a catastrophic mistake. Hopefully it'll pass inspection.

I have two ACT streetlites I'll sell you. Both have been used one has been machined before. The other came off my car and has about 6,000 hard miles on it. PM me and we can talk. I'll help you out.

dwdsm said:

I have two ACT streetlites I'll sell you. Both have been used one has been machined before. The other came off my car and has about 6,000 hard miles on it. PM me and we can talk. I'll help you out.

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Thanks. Still weighing my options. Might go with aluminum, might go with steel, might try to see if original flywheel still has some surface left in it. For now it's going back on so I can move the car.

Stock will retain more "energy" and not need to rev the car as much to get her rolling. Lightweight units will let the motor rev a bit easier but give up the amount of stored inertia for getting the car moving. I have both. I like the stock unit better but I just wasn't used to having to rev the motor higher with the lightweight model.
My .02¢

Makes sense. If I can still get another resurfacing out of this flywheel and it won't cost half of what a new one would, I'll probably do that. Putting it back on for now buys me time to figure out what I want to do.

Yeah I too went from stock to aluminum and then to the middleweight ACT. It's the favorite in my book as you don't give up too much drivability but get a little more response.

What kind of "machinist" doesn't have a dial indicator??? time for an actual machinist and like right now.

Myself and many run the ACT flywheel. Little extra weight can be nice and it wont warp as easily as the fidanza.

motomattx said:

What kind of "machinist" doesn't have a dial indicator??? time for an actual machinist and like right now.

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Good question. It was a fairly big shop for an auto parts store. I think they mainly turn rotors and fabricate or customize parts. Rotors aren't stepped and so few cars have manual transmissions these days.

In any case, I spoke to an SBC tech today and explained the situation and he agreed that it looks like I need a new flywheel but can continue to use the current one without damaging the new clutch if I just drive it a few miles here and there on side roads not pushing it too hard.

dwdsm said:

Yeah I too went from stock to aluminum and then to the middleweight ACT. It's the favorite in my book as you don't give up too much drivability but get a little more response.

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jed344 said:

Myself and many run the ACT flywheel. Little extra weight can be nice and it wont warp as easily as the fidanza.

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The Fidanza looks tempting but I think the ACT makes more sense for my needs. Are there other options that make sense for my situation, other than OEM, which I doubt I'll get?

XC92 said:

Good question. It was a fairly big shop for an auto parts store. I think they mainly turn rotors and fabricate or customize parts. Rotors aren't stepped and so few cars have manual transmissions these days.

In any case, I spoke to an SBC tech today and explained the situation and he agreed that it looks like I need a new flywheel but can continue to use the current one without damaging the new clutch if I just drive it a few miles here and there on side roads not pushing it too hard.

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Well....auto parts store is not a machine shop. I would find an actual machine shop.

I'm going to punt on this issue for now so I can focus on getting the car drivable again. Also passing on fixing the jumping out of first gear issue and replacing a bunch of seals. Nothing appears to be leaking so that's ok. Several other things I'd hope to get to on this pass but wasn't able to. Once the car has plates and passes inspection, I'll make a second pass and take care of these. Insured and registered it today but plates don't come in till the 16th. I got a ton done this pass so I can't complain. Mainly I learned how to do all this.

pauleyman said:

Well....auto parts store is not a machine shop. I would find an actual machine shop.

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But they have a machine shop, a pretty big one. In any case, it wasn't working for me so I passed.

Btw I finally figured out what lock ring pliers are. They're for snap rings that don't have holes or v-shaped bends to secure snap ring pliers to, but rather end in angle-cuts. DSM trans use several. I'm not sure why they're used instead of actual snap rings, but I'm sure there's a reason. I'll probably buy a pair.

Trying to decide between this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009OR974

And this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00209ETSS

Since I doubt I'll be rebuilding this or any other trans that often, I'm hoping that the cheaper pair are ok for occasional use. Sure could have used them when I removed the lock rings on the OEM control arm ball joints.

Oh, one last thing. I opened up the rear case cover of the trans today, to see if there were obvious signs that something was wrong, like metal bits, broken or chipped gears, weird-colored fluid. Nothing, it looked fine to my untrained eyes, and the 2 staked stack nuts were secure and staked.

The one thing I did notice was that the 5th gear synchro (the geared brass ring on top) was loose. I could remove it with my fingers and nothing was holding it in place but the cover when closed. Is this normal?

Also, as I tested the select and shift controls it popped out a few times and I replaced it. But when I closed the case, I'm not 100% sure that I put it back correctly. Is there any way to tell short of reopening the case, or would the cover not close properly if it wasn't in place? What if I shift to 5th by hand and try to turn the input shaft, would that give me an indication of whether it's out of place? Or do I really have to open it up again to make sure?

XC92 said:

But they have a machine shop, a pretty big one. In any case, it wasn't working for me so I passed.

Btw I finally figured out what lock ring pliers are. They're for snap rings that don't have holes or v-shaped bends to secure snap ring pliers to, but rather end in angle-cuts. DSM trans use several. I'm not sure why they're used instead of actual snap rings, but I'm sure there's a reason. I'll probably buy a pair.

Trying to decide between this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009OR974

And this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00209ETSS

Since I doubt I'll be rebuilding this or any other trans that often, I'm hoping that the cheaper pair are ok for occasional use. Sure could have used them when I removed the lock rings on the OEM control arm ball joints.

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I own the lisle pair. Buy the proto. I haven't placed an order but i plan to. I just dont NEED them.

pauleyman said:

I own the lisle pair. Buy the proto. I haven't placed an order but i plan to. I just dont NEED them.

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Is the Lisle inherently flawed, or just not as good that the Stanley? Like I said I doubt I'll use it that often. Are lock rings that common beyond old transmissions and ball joints? Are they used in engines and other components?

I couldn't tell you how common they are. I just believe in buying stuff once and the lisle didn't perform so well over time. They bent and the cross hatch grippy surface that helps hold the ring wears off. I'm actually on my 2nd pair. I saw a toyota video using those proto units and they looked much beefier.

XC92 said:

But they have a machine shop, a pretty big one. In any case, it wasn't working for me so I passed.

Btw I finally figured out what lock ring pliers are. They're for snap rings that don't have holes or v-shaped bends to secure snap ring pliers to, but rather end in angle-cuts. DSM trans use several. I'm not sure why they're used instead of actual snap rings, but I'm sure there's a reason. I'll probably buy a pair.

Trying to decide between this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009OR974

And this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00209ETSS

Since I doubt I'll be rebuilding this or any other trans that often, I'm hoping that the cheaper pair are ok for occasional use. Sure could have used them when I removed the lock rings on the OEM control arm ball joints.

Click to expand...

One more thing. Coincidently i did a lot of looking at these very pliers a few months ago. I think Amazon has the wrong picture. Look at these.
https://www.toolsid.com/proto/lock-...MI7LO7i47t7AIVRtbACh04aAfJEAQYASABEgLA8fD_BwE
The Toyota video I mentioned linked that same amazon pair and part number. The video was obviously the part i just showed not the pic from Amazon.

pauleyman said:

One more thing. Coincidently i did a lot of looking at these very pliers a few months ago. I think Amazon has the wrong picture. Look at these.
https://www.toolsid.com/proto/lock-...MI7LO7i47t7AIVRtbACh04aAfJEAQYASABEgLA8fD_BwE
The Toyota video I mentioned linked that same amazon pair and part number. The video was obviously the part i just showed not the pic from Amazon.

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That's the vendor I bought my SBC clutch kit from, using an additional 5% discount. In the shipment there was a 10% coupon, making it even cheaper than the Amazon one. But, I get free shipping with Prime and there's this $15 off $50 promo, although I need to add something to get it to $50, and it has to be sold by Amazon.

Anyway, if I do get one, I'll probably get the Proto. Thanks.

Btw should I reopen the trans case to make sure I inserted the brass ring properly, or do they self-seat once the case is closed and the gears turn?

XC92 said:

That's the vendor I bought my SBC clutch kit from, using an additional 5% discount. In the shipment there was a 10% coupon, making it even cheaper than the Amazon one. But, I get free shipping with Prime and there's this $15 off $50 promo, although I need to add something to get it to $50, and it has to be sold by Amazon.

Anyway, if I do get one, I'll probably get the Proto. Thanks.

Btw should I reopen the trans case to make sure I inserted the brass ring properly, or do they self-seat once the case is closed and the gears turn?

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Im not following. What ring?

The 5th gear syncro, I believe Paul.