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Broken flywheel tooth, what would cause it?

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Spoolin98

20+ Year Contributor
1,639
22
Feb 1, 2004
Easton, Pennsylvania
My car was having issues starting, a clunking noise. I though it was a bad starter, needless to say this is what I saw when I pulled the transmission for an LSD install.

Its an ACT streetlite 6 bolt FWD flywheel with approximately 6,000 miles on it.

The tooth is completely sheared off. I searched and couldnt find anyone else with this problem. It looks to me that it was a casting flaw.
Any thoughts on this?
 

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Casting flaw, or you hit the key while the engine was running and the starter bendix popped that tooth off.
 
Sorry Brian!

I never turned the key while the motor was running.

The flywheel is cast steel, I could see if the teeth or tooth were chewed up but not completely sheared off.
The fact that it sheared off so perfectly makes me think it was a casting flaw.
 
Would putting a lighter flywheel unblance my motor?
The ACT streetlite flywheel that broke was 12.5lbs, the rotating assembly was balanced with that flywheel.
Unless ACT stands by their product and replaces this broken flywheel with a new one, Im forced to buy another flywheel.
Obviously I wouldnt buy another ACT if that were the case, so I was looking at the Fidanza flywheel.
Its 8lbs, which would shed 4.5lbs of rotating mass.
Would this throw the balance of my motor off and ruin something?
 
The lighter flyhweel will just make it more difficult to drive and if you have no control of the tune (stock ECU/MAF), you will have decel throttle and idle stability issues. If you are running speed density with a proper tune and using your idle speed controller decel throttle tables, you shouldn't have much of an issue.

Either way, ACT should cover that as a material defect and warranty it.
 
The tooth next to it is damaged too, it was either hit by the starter or a pebble got in there because of missing inspection cover? Stay with the Streetlite.
 
The lighter flyhweel will just make it more difficult to drive and if you have no control of the tune (stock ECU/MAF), you will have decel throttle and idle stability issues. If you are running speed density with a proper tune and using your idle speed controller decel throttle tables, you shouldn't have much of an issue.

Either way, ACT should cover that as a material defect and warranty it.

I have dsmlink w sd, I can have my tuner fix those issues.
So far ACT is blaming it on my 6 bolt swap stating that the 2g starter is not meant to be used with a 6 bolt flywheel. I argued and I'm waiting on a warranty decision.

The tooth next to it is damaged too, it was either hit by the starter or a pebble got in there because of missing inspection cover? Stay with the Streetlite.

The tooth next to it is damaged from the starter hitting it after skipping the missing tooth.
Inspection cover was in place, no way a rock got in.
If ACT stands by their product I will stay with the streetlite, if not I'm not going to buy ACT products again after this one failed.
 
I have dsmlink w sd, I can have my tuner fix those issues.
So far ACT is blaming it on my 6 bolt swap stating that the 2g starter is not meant to be used with a 6 bolt flywheel. I argued and I'm waiting on a warranty decision.



The tooth next to it is damaged from the starter hitting it after skipping the missing tooth.
Inspection cover was in place, no way a rock got in.
If ACT stands by their product I will stay with the streetlite, if not I'm not going to buy ACT products again after this one failed.

I ran an ACT streetlite for years without any issue, and no, a lighter flywheel won't affect your engines balance because they are balanced separately.

As for the claim that you can't run a 2g starter on a six bolt, that's BS. Look it up, it's the same starter.
 
I ran an ACT streetlite for years without any issue, and no, a lighter flywheel won't affect your engines balance because they are balanced separately.

As for the claim that you can't run a 2g starter on a six bolt, that's BS. Look it up, it's the same starter.

Yeah I ran a 7 bolt for years with no issues, did a 6 bolt swap with a brand new ACT streetlite and a few thousand miles later I ran into this.

I agree, that was the argument I made to ACT. They told me they needed to do more research before making a decision. Although they already did make a decision that it was my fault for using a 2g starter on a 6 bolt flywheel. :notgood:
 
The two AWD flywheels are both the same diameter and 106 teeth. The starter is essentially identical with the same tooth count and diameter starter gear. They are on crack if they think that doing a 6-bolt swap is the issue.

The fwd flywheels are 110 tooth if I recall and a different diameter than the AWD.
 
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The two flywheels are both the same diameter and 106 teeth. The starter is essentially identical with the same tooth count and diameter starter gear. They are on crack if they think that doing a 6-bolt swap is the issue.

According to ACT the FWD 6 bolt and 7 bolt flywheels are not the same. I forget exactly what's different, I will try and get it in writing.

I provided the ACT representative with links to both the RRE and Magnus 6 bolt swap write ups. I gave them the links days ago. Tonight the rep called me and informed me that he spoke with someone at RRE about the differences in the flywheels. He admitted he was wrong after talking to the guy at RRE and they verified that the flywheels are the same and you can use the 2g starter with a 6 bolt flywheel.
After all that NOW they went from saying using the 2g starter with the 6 bolt flywheel caused the tooth to come off to saying that there are marks on every tooth where there shouldn't be marks. In other words, they are saying my starter was making contact with the flywheel teeth where it shouldn't have been,
Convenient huh?
They will not replace the flywheel stating its out of warranty, which is only 90 days from purchase date :notgood:
They offered me a new flywheel at a discount, basically the same price as a new Fidanza flywheel.
What do you guys think?
Go with the fidanza or get another ACT?

The rep also stated that the president of the company has only seen this happen to 2 flywheels in 20 years in the business. This furthered my argument that its their fault. I gave up arguing my point, we agreed to disagree.
 
Mike, that sounds like a pile of shit.

I am sorry to hear that they are acting like this shit never happens. 2 flywheels failing in 20 years -- That is complete BS; and even then; it should be replaced no questions asked then if it was true. They have made enough profit over 20 years to replace ONE flywheel free of charge.

90-day warranty is a joke as well.


According to ACT the FWD 6 bolt and 7 bolt flywheels are not the same. I forget exactly what's different, I will try and get it in writing.

I provided the ACT representative with links to both the RRE and Magnus 6 bolt swap write ups. I gave them the links days ago. Tonight the rep called me and informed me that he spoke with someone at RRE about the differences in the flywheels. He admitted he was wrong after talking to the guy at RRE and they verified that the flywheels are the same and you can use the 2g starter with a 6 bolt flywheel.
After all that NOW they went from saying using the 2g starter with the 6 bolt flywheel caused the tooth to come off to saying that there are marks on every tooth where there shouldn't be marks. In other words, they are saying my starter was making contact with the flywheel teeth where it shouldn't have been,
Convenient huh?
They will not replace the flywheel stating its out of warranty, which is only 90 days from purchase date :notgood:
They offered me a new flywheel at a discount, basically the same price as a new Fidanza flywheel.
What do you guys think?
Go with the fidanza or get another ACT?

The rep also stated that the president of the company has only seen this happen to 2 flywheels in 20 years in the business. This furthered my argument that its their fault. I gave up arguing my point, we agreed to disagree.
 
Mike, that sounds like a pile of shit.

I am sorry to hear that they are acting like this shit never happens. 2 flywheels failing in 20 years -- That is complete BS; and even then; it should be replaced no questions asked then if it was true. They have made enough profit over 20 years to replace ONE flywheel free of charge.

90-day warranty is a joke as well.

Tim I completely agree.
I argued up and down. Told them I'm disappointed that they don't stand by their product..
I could understand if the teeth were chewed up a little from a bad starter but a tooth cleanly shearing off like that is obviously a manufacturing flaw.
I don't know what else to do but buy another flywheel...
 
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