Removing Flywheel-218

[Sam Buchanan]

The transmission sealing I applied a couple years ago has failed so the tranny has been pulled for another go at it. I decided to replace the clutch while everything was apart--it was a good decision because the disc was almost worn down to the rivets. The flywheel needs to be refaced to complete the clutch job.

 

I've removed the flywheel nuts but it jams against the bell housing when I attempt to extract it. The shop manual says the oil pan must be removed in order to remove the flywheel. My question:

 

Can the flywheel be extracted with the bell housing in place? 

 

Do the flywheel studs need to be driven back toward the crank flange in order for the flywheel to come free?

 

I don't mind pulling the oil pan if needed, I have gaskets on the way and I can take a look at the rear seal which appears to be pretty dry. Thanks in advance for advice from those who have done this job.

 

Oh...one more question....is there a source for the rubber grommets for the bearing retainer cover bolts on the tranny?

 

Thanks!

[chris 48 P15]

hi sam

yes the flywheel can be removed with bell housing in place

the solution is to remove the studs

pan may need to be removed for this

definitely if you do the rear main oil seal also need to remove rear main cap for seal

[9 foot box]

   To keep it simple, I would paint the bottom flywheel bolt and scribe the flywheel. Tap the four bolts forward and you should have enough room to drop the flywheel. Put a peen mark at the scribe mark after you drop it out and it will be indexed for replacement, after having been cleaned and resurfaced. The grommet for the bearing retainer is 670946, rubber, 5/16 I.D. x 7/16 O.D., 1/8 in. thick. I don’t think you can remove the bell housing with the flywheel on, even if the engine was out. My flywheel bolts are installed from the rear, with the nuts forward because of the crank flange design. Rick D.

[DJK]

On my 52 Cranbrook I ground some material away from the bellhousing in order to remove the flywheel with the engine in the vehicle. On the P24 engine I just purchased, I was able to remove  the bell housing w/o removing clutch first.

[Sam Buchanan]

Thank you for the comments, I found them to be very applicable to my P15 218.

 

In spite of driving the flywheel bolts as far forward as they would go until they hit the rear seal retainer, the flywheel would not come out. It was THIS close, just needed another 1/16" or so. If the Mopar engineers had given us another 1/8" in the bellhousing it would work. I considered cutting an opening into the top of the bellhousing for some relief but since this is what keeps the engine from falling onto the road I decided not to get out the grinder.

 

It looks like the oil pan and rear crank cap would need to be removed so the flywheel bolts could be sequentially driven all the way out, the service manual states this is necessary for some models. I haven't yet decided if I want to add to the work order  or just freshen up the flywheel with some hand sanding. The flywheel isn't scored, but you can tell the clutch disc has worn into it a few thou. I suspect this is the original clutch (48K miles).

 

Thank you for the info on the bolt grommets.

 

After thinking about it for awhile----Aw shoot...I'm this far into it might as well pull the pan and rear cap.......sure would hate myself if I installed a new clutch and it shuttered a little.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Sam Buchanan

[Sniper]

Be careful, that flywheel is dang heavy.

 

If there was any bolt threads sticking past the nuts you may want to consider replacing them with a slightly shorter bolt for "next time'.

[Sam Buchanan]

About an hour later the pan and rear cap is pulled and the flywheel is at the machine shop.....glad I decided to do it right. 

 

With the cap removed, driving out the bolts and lowering the flywheel was a non-event. The rear seal is dry, I don't think I want to risk messing with it. Has anyone used Permatex Ultra Black for the oil pan instead of a gasket?

[chris 48 P15]

and you get to clean the oil pan 

shes going to thank you for the tlc 

[Sam Buchanan]

53 minutes ago, chris 48 P15 said:

and you get to clean the oil pan 

shes going to thank you for the tlc 

 

The engine was rebuilt in 1987 and when I removed the pan a couple of years ago it appeared detergent oil had been used since overhaul, the inside of the engine is sparkling clean. I wiped out a thin film of residue in the very bottom of the pan. Clean living I guess.  ?

 

Where the tranny has been leaking is another matter.....

Edited July 20, 2022 by Sam Buchanan