How to install flywheel dowels

monk302

Founding Member
Apr 18, 2001
742
2
16
New Jersey
Hey everyone,

So after not finding anyone who would rebalance my old 50 oz flywheel I decided to go ahead and purchase one from Summit Racing. Now I have a 28oz imbalance flywheel that came with 3 dowels (and I thougt I was going to have to buy them from Ford). Now my question is how do they go into the flywheel. They are kind of tapered. Which end goes into the flywheel? The fat end. With that, how do I get them in? Should I tap them in? Anyone have any advice or picts?

Thanks,

Mike
 
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Yeah, I think he means small hammer because they're a b*&^tch to get in squarely at first becaust they're small. Just take your time and get them as square to the hole as possible. You're right, the fat end goes in the flywheel.
 
question, i installed a new flywheel from ford motorsport when i did my t-5 swap. i never installed the alignment dowels, i just bolted up the pressure plate and torqued it down. since i did the swap i've had a vibration that varys at different rpms. its not a terrible vibration, like not to the point where it would be destroying my bearings, but definitely noticable. is this the source of my vibration problem? could my pressure plate be misaligned?
 
danewers said:
question, i installed a new flywheel from ford motorsport when i did my t-5 swap. i never installed the alignment dowels, i just bolted up the pressure plate and torqued it down. since i did the swap i've had a vibration that varys at different rpms. its not a terrible vibration, like not to the point where it would be destroying my bearings, but definitely noticable. is this the source of my vibration problem? could my pressure plate be misaligned?
It's possible, but i ran mine without them and didn't notice any problems with vibrations, but then again my Toploader 4 speed is 35 years old, (an only been rebuilt once that I know of :D )
 
D.Hearne said:
It's possible, but i ran mine without them and didn't notice any problems with vibrations, but then again my Toploader 4 speed is 35 years old, (an only been rebuilt once that I know of :D )

I agree, although I dont think an old toploader would cause vibration unless a mainshaft bearing was really, really bad(but then it would be noisy and the trans would probably not work).

Danewers, unless the vibration started immediately after installingt he clutch, I would suspect something other than the pressure plate. Does it do it with the clutch pedal pushed in or only in gear and going? How new is your crank damper? Lots of variables.
 
the vibration appeared after i installed the clutch. vibrates both when the clutch pedal is up or down. it vibrates in neutral and varys according to rpm, same thing in every gear. drove the car right before i pulled out the c4, ran smooth. when i swapped in the t-5, thats when the vibration started. i know its the flywheel or pressure plate because it varys with the engine speed. i'm just curious if leaving out the alignment dowels caused me to mount the pressure plate say, 180 degrees the wrong way or something.
 
gjz30075 said:
Yeah, I think he means small hammer because they're a b*&^tch to get in squarely at first becaust they're small. Just take your time and get them as square to the hole as possible. You're right, the fat end goes in the flywheel.
A couple tips on installing dowels...

A little grease helps.

A metal or wood plate with a slip fit hole really helps to get dowels straight. You hold the plate on top of the flywheel and drop the pin in. You want the plate to be a little thinner than the length of the dowel. Ideally, the thickness of the plate would equal the finished stick out length of the dowel. Then you just tap on the dowel until it's flush with the plate.
 
D.Hearne said:
You DID install the right flywheel didn't you?, Not one with a different balance weight? Like putting a 50 oz wheel where you had a 28 oz before?

yeah i definitely have a 28oz imbalance flywheel which is correct for the engine ('67 289). wouldnt the wrong flywheel cause MAJOR vibrations though?

i'm hoping to figure out why exactly i'm having this vibration before i pull the tranny. i'd hate to pull it out only to find nothing wrong. thanks everyone for the help so far. any more ideas would be great.