Drove her hard for a run. Got into town, parked idle for a minute while my friend went into a store. Backed out and started slowly down the road, and I heard something very strange over the stereo.
Turned down the radio, and the damn engine sounded like it was a spinning bucket o' bolts! Openend the hood, and it sounded just like a big coffee can with a couple bolts being spun real fast inside it!.
I thought something was wrong near/in/around the header somehow. I could'nt figure it out. Idle was fine, power was great till then. I never did give it any gas when I heard the noise. And I shut it down after I popped the hood to see what it was.
Tried to start it...starter just spins.

Have I blown off the ring gear on my flywheel?

The car won't be getting towed home here till later. Then I'll remove the bellhousing inspection plate to see.
What would cause this, and
What other damage could result from the ring spinning around in there for say, ten minutes, or so?

 

Yes, it's possible.

Damage... well, I wouldn't try to put the ring gear back on, or try to put a new one on (if you can even find one) so pretty much you'll need a flywheel. Then you get to inspect the transmission bellhousing area, the clutch cover, the release fork, everything in the vicinity that could have been smacking the loose gear around.

It's also possible that the nose of the starter broke off and was getting kicked around in there.

 

Yup!...It sure can!
Could'nt tell too well by removing the inspection plates, but when I popped out the starter, sure-as-****, that ring gear is just floppin 'round in there.
There is very little metal flake, and the corners of the ring teethand starter are worn smooth. I don't think there's any other damage.

I would be inclined to install a new clutch just for having to have to drop the tranny anyway. But I peeked into the Manual, and I had no idea that heat fitting a new ring gear was even concidered an option doable by a mechanic.
I also did not know they were heat-fitted in place.
This led me too my other question; Does this mean I got it really hot somehow -i.e...fried my clutch, or it was on it's wat out? I never smelled clutch.

 

To be honest I have no clue how that thing came off either! I've never heard of it happening. Maybe it cracked at one point so that it lost its interference fit on the flywheel.

 

It happened to a Honda that was in the shop recently... Solution: New Flywheel.

Most of the ring gears and flywheels are either pressed together or welded together. Few are one piece.

They are balanced very precisely as they spin at several thoushand RPM and a slight imbalance would cause harsh vibration and possible bearing damage.

That said, I wouldn't reccomend trying to put it back together... Just nab up a new flywheel.. It's a good excuse to get a light weight steel one.

Clutch replacement decision is a no brainer unless it was replaced very recently.

 

Ask Sterling how the deer feels.
hanman

 

Mike to the rescue, I got an extra flywheel laying around. Its been laying around for a while so a surfacing will be a must, but its a must anytime you change a clutch anyway...

I dunno the year its off of. But its most likely from a later model FB probally an 83 or so... Peejay what where the numbers stamped into the back of the flywheel that told what year they were...

Make me an offer for it, and Ill mail it to ya

 

Althought I would try to source a new ring gear, unless you've got the money and the desire to go with a lighter flywheel, It's not that hard to put a new ring gear on a flywheel. When I rebuilt my 85 Ford BroncoII, the ring gear was torn to snot, someone definately went to town on the ol' starter. We had to order a new ring gear, and when we had the machine shop resurface the flywheel, we had them put the gear on. Cost was around $35 or so. Rebuilding that old engine... funny thing, I just relized not long ago, the Transmission on that beast looks a lot like the tranny in the RX-7. I wonder....

 

The problem is, if the ring gear came off, the flywheel is probably chewed up.

Here's the link to flywheel ID: http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/flywheel.htm

And here's a link to counterweight interchangeability (if the rear counterweight is the same for given years then the flywheels are interchangeable - i.e. an '82 flywheel can be used on a '79 engine despite them being different, because they'd use the same rear counterweight and therefore have the same imbalance) : http://www.mazdatrix.com/b5.htm

And yes, some Bronco/Ranger/F150 models from the late 80's-ish time frame used Mazda Type 3 transmissions AKA RX-7 Turbo style transmissions. They called it the "Kogyo" transmission. I have a '93 Ford Motorsport catalog that lists a performance clutch that fits Rangers with 23-spline, 1" input shafts - the same as a Turbo tranny. VERY INTERESTING. You might like to read this: http://members.aol.com/solomiata/Drivetrain.html

 

...*******!

hanman is referring to an update on a similar post I left on Mazspeed.com.
I had to meet the flatbed guy at night at the end of his day to get my car. I did have the option of just dropping off the key with his wife (their wrecking business is around the corner from me, but my car crapped out 10 miles away.)- I opted to meet him there because I like to be present when someone hoists my baby on to a truck.
Anyway, I was driving my wifes Z3, and bashed a ****** deer on the way back home.

You know that ******* hooked up to my tow loop - fine. But then with the other "spare" hook, as a precaution for a break away, he HOOKED IT IN MY ******* WHEEL!
Now I don't really give a ****, ya know, because they're factory wheels, and I have 16 of them. But HE does'nt friggin know that!
*******.

So I pull up close to the house, and I'm showing my wife the damage that I did to her car, and this guy is dropping off my car in the driveway. It would be impolite, and rude, and incompassionate not to stand there and console my wife about the bash in her Bimmer. But I really wanted to be right by my own car as Mr. ******* was dropping her off his truck.

Sure as ****, the next morning in the light, I saw a scuff mark on the ground behind the car, and "Yupper-doodle!"; That ****** ******* had my car pitched too far downward when he let it off, and now my muffler's fulla mud.
*******.

My wife's damages are 2,200...not too damn bad for a Bimmer.

I ordered the RB aluminum flywheel that I've wanted for two years now, but skimped out and got a stock clutch. Both bearings, yaddayadda...620 alltogether. Just could'nt afford to spring for the better clutch and a new pressure plate.
Next time.
Got the stuff from Mazdatrix.

Thanks for all your help, and your offer, Mike.

I'll be asking clutch replacement questions for sure!

 

Sorry Sterling,
But remember I owed you from your age comment a few months ago.
lol
Seriously, sorry about your luck on both of your cars. I remember about three weeks after I bought my 80 rex brand new off the showroom floor, my wife at the time smacked a deer and threw it completely over the car. Neither the rex or the deer fared very well in the exchange.
Funny, now the wife is gone but I still have the rex.
Could be worse, I could have been the deer.
hanman

 

That's right! I forgot about that.
Payback's a bitch!