hello everyone, i have a 1978 Camaro with a 350 4spd, i need to change the flywheel bc the teeth are all kinds of chewed up, while im down there i figured replace the god knows how old clutch and what not, i need to know what size flywheel i probably have, and the auto store said its either a 10' or 11' clutch, a coarse or fine pattern, im new to manual trannies so idk what that means lol it takes them a few days to order the parts and i dont want to take off the parts and measure them to find out, i can still push start 'er after all lol thank you.

 

I'm afraid we'd be guessing too. I doubt if you've got an 11" clutch, but it's possible. I think you're better off to jack it up and pull the inspection cover to check what you have first.
Are you in a pretty remote location that your auto parts store could take more than a day to get the parts in? My local NAPA will have just about any cluth, flywheel, and pressure plate in the next day.

 

no im in a pretty built up area, the napa will have it next day, but the advance auto parts is cheaper but they take like two days for some reason, and i didnt think anyone could tell me what exactly i have, but rather tell me how to check what i have. i have changed an auto tranny before but im not sure where everything is located on this.

 

You can get a new ring gear without the flywheel for about $30.
Not sure what NAPA or a machine shop would charge to install it but it may be less that buying a whole flywheel.

 

My local NAPA did mine, they have a full sevice machine shop(wow 30 bucks). That was awile ago though. Measure the dia. of your clutch disc. Next the disc will have either 10 or 26 splines (center hole). Make sure you have the flywheel resurfaced. Check your pilot bushing while its apart. Thats the bronze thing in the center of the crank. There cheap.

 

yeah they said the ring gear would run about 30, only problem is i really dont feel like taking it all apart lol, all i have to work with is the stock jack (hydrolic one buckled) and a set of ramps that doesnt really give u any room to do real work to a car, speaking of, anyone know of cheap lifts? lol

 

Well then........how do you expect to change the flywheel? lol

How bad is it? if there are just a couple bad teeth there's an old farmer trick that can be done at a garage with a lift and a welder.
If there are just a few bad teeth they can be welded up and then filed back down into shape through the inspection cover without pulling the trans.
If its bad all the way around forget it.

 

Now I'm confused? After all these years of changing trannies, clutches, flywheels, etc. with either a bumper jack and jack stands, hydraulic jack, or an old bottle jack. I didn't realise I couldn't do it without a lift??????
I gotta go get a lift so I can keep wrenching on my Camaro!

 

That's all I ever had to work with and half the time doing it out in a gravel driveway.
4 speeds are easy,much easier than an automatic.

 

Sounds like we have more in common than just a love of Camaros! I think I've still got gravel permanently embedded in my backside!