Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 235/261 Steel Flywheel

A good number of years ago, Jack Clifford use to catalog and sell a 30 pound 10.5 inch steel flywheel for use on the 55-62/3 235 and 261 chevys. McLeod was the supplier. I purchase one in probably 84 or 85. Been using it ever since. Racing, street driving, hijenks, lol. Replaced my beloved Schieffer clutch and pressure plate two yeas ago with new Ram pieces. The flywheel looked as good as the day I installed it.

My 20 something son is in the process of building his first motor, a 261 chevy for his 57 chevy sedan. I really did not want to use a used flywheel, and would have really preferred a steel unit just because its was stronger and durable. Over the years I have called McLeod but it was usually we cant do that any longer.

I decided to give one more go at it and sent an email to McLeod and got a response that has me clicking my heals. Someone knows what I am talking about and dug into McLeod's published and unpublished catalog. Turns out, then can make one.

If anyone is looking for something decent and new in terms of a flywheel, you have to call and order directly from McLeod. The part number is 460139 and is not a published part number. The flywheel is a steel 30 pound unit with a 10.5 face for the clutch, but I was made to understand they could also machine for an 11 inch. These are made to order and its a 6-8 week lead time.

Cost is $480 in steel. Not inexpensive but not completely out of hand as I have been quoted in excess of $800 by another manufacturer.

For anyone who is looking for something in Aluminum for say a dirt track motor or the like, they can make one up in aluminum for $750.

Again, you have to call McLeod directly to order these flywheels. The contact person there is Billy Mieczkowski.

This would probably be of interest to mention this over on the Stovebolt forum as well. You never know who else might be stuck in a project not knowing how to move forward unless they had this info ....

I did. Frankly, with the trucks, especially the larger trucks, a steel flywheel and a larger pressure plate with modern friction materials, modern bolt pattern (one that is not rare or hard to get) would be a real benefit.

For us in the 235/261 game, a steel flywheel and 10.5 or 11 inch pressure plate is the same deal but in many respects better. An SFI steel flywheel, SFI clutch and SFI pressure plate goes a long way toward safety if you like to run your 235/261 hard or at the track or whatever. Or if you are just a one and done kind of guy, this is one of those parts. Comes at a price of course, but I can tell you the steel flywheel I purchased from Jack Clifford in the 80s looks almost as good today as it did when I first installed it. No glazing, no grooving, no need to re-machine it. It has served me really well over the years.