Well I spent the day yesterday on a road race course, it was great. I parked after the last heat then went to start my car and the ring gear on the flywheel came off.

Has this happened to anyone else?
thoughts on why it happened?
What to do to fix it?

Thanks

 

This sounds like a question for Sterling!

I think the ring is heat-shrunk onto the flywheel, and if the ring teeth are still good you can re-use it.

Was the starter working okay?

 

just put another fly wheel on. i've had the ring gear replaced on a piece of sh ford bronco befor. wasn't fun, but it was just striped.

 

propane torch will fix it
its not hard really, just takes a little time
(ive changed ring gears on several non rx7's so YMMV)

 

I read that somwhere also, I think it was in the RB catalog. I would think about throwing a couple of small tack welds afterwards to keep it in place.

 

Ya, someone told me that I can put the ring gear in my home oven at 400 degrees and it will slip on. I will then tack weld it to make sure it stays!

 

yeah when I worked at mazda, we got an rx8 with a busted ring gear. IM pretty sure a few good 10,000 RPM clutch drops are what did it

 

Yikes, I think that could break all sorts of things...

 

how would that breake it? the ring gear is only put under shear stress when you crank with the starter.

CJG

 

The 10,000 rpm's and gravity, and even a small flaw would do it. Thats why you use a scratter sheild.

 

Make sure you got some good oven gloves tell us how it works out.

 

yeah ive had a ring gear come loose. what i did was a few spot welds around the ring gear to hold it in place.. havent had any problems since

-James

 

It mighta been rotor bearings, but I heard the same thing... Bake one part, freeze the other. They slip together.

 

put like 6 1" welds evenly spaced....... my brother had to do that to his mustang....

 

ok...now im no scientitian, but...tack welding something to something elts which rotates at 7000RPM on a reg basis...would un ballance the flywheel and cause vibration...

 

im not a fan either
ive had to try and replace one that was welded

but as far as messing up the balance, the welds are small enough that it shoulnt matter