Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Weight welded to flywheel

Posted this also on drive train.

Found a flywheel in a recking yard today. It has a 1/8 x 3" or so peice of steel welded to the engine side of the flywheel. As if someone was balancing it. It looks like a prefectly good flywheel... why would someone do this? Should I remove it? It is not a from the factory looking weld.
Thanks, Clyde

Before you go and chip it off, you might wanna take it to a machinist and have him check the balance. It may just be on there for a reason. I have a brand new Centerforce II clutch and I left it, the flywheel and harmonic balancer with my machinist. He resurfaced the flywheel, drilled out a few lightening holes in the balancer and _added_ some counterweights onto the factory-new centerforce clutch. Because of its vertical configuration, the L6 engine needs particular attention paid to its balance. More so than a V-, Boxer (opposed) or radial engine. At higher RPMs excessive vibrations can cause disruptive harmonics unless properly balanced.
Good luck

I called the machinist that turned it yesterday.. he said "looks like someone tried to make it work on a 400" He recommended I take it off. He said a way too large of a peice for balancing it.

I think it is the right flywheel for my motor... And I have handheld grinder ;-)

Thanks for the input, Clyde

After reading Twisted6's reply in DriveLine, I guess he's right. Gotta admit, at least I _sounded_ like I thought I knew what I was talking about.