New to 4 speed question

[benrunner]

I have 1970 440 built a little. Cans make a external balance flywheel into a neutral at the machine shop? The local machine shop says no problem. Thanks

 

[OSDart]

Any good machine shop should be able to zero balance your flywheel.

 

[gkent]

Yes BUT ... why not spend a couple hundred bucks and buy a safe billet steel flywheel instead of risking things with an ancient cast iron unit. You're going to pay the machine shop anyway, toss that money towards the new one which will come neutral balanced.

 

[5.7 hemi]

That cast iron flywheel is an accident waiting to happen if you miss shifts. Go billet, you will be much happier and your feet will thank you.

 

[KMopar]

anyone use the billet flywheel on 440source.com?

 

[mr. b]

yes it was on a 440 worked perfect

 

[gkent]

440Source only sell a 130t flywheel. I bought one from American Powertrain a few years back - same price as 440Source. Now the ones at American Powertrain have gone up significantly but I think they're all SFI approved. When I bought mine it was $100 more for the SFI sticker !! I wouldn't hesitate to use one from 440Source.

 

[OSDart]

The OP asked if a stock flywheel could be zero balanced. Yes they can. Would I do it? For a stock driver that will not be beat on. Yes. For any kind of performance intended usage. NO!
In years passed, scattershields were a necessity because of crappy flywheels and clutches. Now we've got 700hp+ factory built cars that don't have shields. Why? Because of the superior materials used in making clutches. I thought hard about a shield for my bbm '65 Belvedere. Instead I invested in the best flywheel and clutch I could get.
So yes, go billet. Save a foot!

 

[gkent]

Don Garlits would agree !

 

[vintage chromoly]

Even if you buy a “neutral balanced” SFI flywheel, it needs to go to a good shop to be checked.
My “neutral balanced” SFI (made in the USA Hays) needed correction.
Same goes for the pressure plate, and to a much greater extent

 

[33 IMP]

The guys telling you to buy billet/sfi are right, trying to do you a favor. We've all seen pictures of clutch explosions, but i was there and saw a 55 chevy blow up a cast iron flywheel. Almost totaled the car, and i dont mean from the crash he barely avoided. Firewall, floor windshield and roof severely damaged., VERY lucky to walk away with a limp.

 

[Daves69]

The OP asked if a stock flywheel could be zero balanced...……....

OP, the 130 tooth flywheel in the picture, are you sure it's an external balance?

 

[WesleyK]

Hate to sorta hijack but reading all this has caused me to have a little concern. I have a my stock built 383hp going in my Bee. It has the factory flywheel still in it. I’m going to drive and enjoy the car, should I be concerned? I mean it’s lasted 50 years and is still together.

 

[33 IMP]

Overheating from a slipping clutch, and rpm is what kills flywheels. The 55 i saw was a 7000rpm plus combo, and he was slipping the clutch to get it off the starting line without blowing the tires off.
If you dont abuse it , it should be fine, but the op is putting his combo together still, and he states he's got a warmed up combo, and new to 4 speeds. We are just trying to give good advice from experience.

 

[gkent]

Hate to sorta hijack but reading all this has caused me to have a little concern. I have a my stock built 383hp going in my Bee. It has the factory flywheel still in it. I’m going to drive and enjoy the car, should I be concerned? I mean it’s lasted 50 years and is still together.

I had a VERY warmed over 383 and was using the stock flywheel with no worries but billet flywheels were virtually non-existent then. Now they're reasonably priced so if you have the trans out you may as well do the upgrade. In your case I wouldn't be afraid to use the stocker - as do many hundreds if not thousands of other musclecar owners.