How to change flywheel

[simone0414]

Pretty sure it is my flywheel & not the starter. It's not bad enough that she won't start but I want to get on top of this asap.

How does one go about replacing the flywheel? I am assuming that dropping the tranny will allow access to the flywheel.

Looking for info on how to do this job.

[Mikey's250]

Whats it doing to make you think its the flywheel?

[Tony V]

Is it bent? vibrations?

[2000 7.3 6speed]

are you sure its not your starter? more details

[HOUTX01X]

i have done a few on some gasser.. sure its the same.. tranny comes outs..not hard..time consuming though. i can do 1 in a full day by myself. not fun on a lifted truck with only a floor jack

[simone0414]

Well I suspect it is the flywheel but not sure. I replaced the starter with a reman one about a year ago. Starting a few months ago every so often when I turn the key to start the truck it will make that terrible grinding noise sounding like the starter is slipping. I turn the key off & then try starting & it will not do it & the truck will start. It has progressively gotten more frequent. Since the weather has gotten colder & it takes more cranking to get her to go the noise has gotten much worse. Today I tried to get her going & she would roll over a couple seconds & then make that noise & then it sounds like the starter is binding up & stopping. Turn key & then try again & same thing. It took alot of trys to get her running. It feels like after 1 revoultion of the flywheel this noise starts & the engine stops turning. I have checked to make sure the bolts are not coming loose on the starter & they are not.

Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions a bit so what is the best way to determine the cause? I can take the starter off & check the teeth on the bendicks drive but other then that I don't know what to check on the starter. Since it is only a year old I haven't given alot of thought to it being the cause but I suppose it could be. Is there any easy way to check/turn the flywheel to see if there are any bad teeth on that? I suppose when it does it I could take the starter off & see what the flywheel looks like. If there is a bad spot on the flywheel then that should be where it is.

[kylev90]

IMO its not likely to be your flywheel. An easy way to know for sure though is to get under the truck and use a pry bar to turn the engine over with the flywheel and inspect the teeth of the flywheel along the way. No need to even take the starter off. There should be a dust plate there to cover the flywheel. Good Luck

[thbd77]

check your bellhousing bolts are tight

[Mikey's250]

Mine was doing the exact same thing it started doing it every once in a while then it got where it was about every 3rd start up. I replaced the starter with a new high tq one and it hasnt done it since I put it on.(a month or so). I know your starter isnt that old but my 2 cents is dont buy reman'd parts if you can help it. My new high tq from db electric was half the price of a reman'd one anyways.

[simone0414]

Originally Posted by kylev90

IMO its not likely to be your flywheel. An easy way to know for sure though is to get under the truck and use a pry bar to turn the engine over with the flywheel and inspect the teeth of the flywheel along the way. No need to even take the starter off. There should be a dust plate there to cover the flywheel. Good Luck

Yes I forgot about that. That shows quite a bit of the flywheel with out turning it. I think I will do that. If all the teeth on the flywheeel looks good then it must be the starter. There is nothing else it could be is there like the wiring to it?

The bolts are tight. I checked them. I am so glad to here that is probably not the flywheel. I guess I was just expecting the worst cause that's usually how things go for me.