Charles -
Nope, it's one of two positions. On a 4 cylinder engine, you get two
pistons firing per revolution, or two full revolutions to get all 4
cylinders to fire. (If you want proof, pay attention the next time you
turn your engine by hand to adjust the valves. ) The engine tends to
stop in one of two positions that have one of the 4 pistons on its way
up to TDC on the compression stroke.
That means, in terms of flywheel rotation, that it stops with one of two
areas on the flywheel (180 degrees apart) by the starter. Those two
spots take the most abuse from initial pinion engagement. If you are
fortunate to have a flywheel held on with 4 bolts, it's a simple matter
(once you've already removed the engine) to rotate the flywheel 90
degrees to bring relatively unworn areas of the ring gear into those two
positions.
However, if you've got the engine out already, why mess around with
halfway measures?
- If you can afford it, replace the ring gear.
- If you can find a place that can flip the ring gear over without
damaging it (as I've learned DO exist, but it takes some time and stuff
that the average shop doesn't have lying around), then that might be the
next best thing, (if it costs less than a new ring gear).
- If you're really strapped, though, the "turn the flywheel 90 degrees"
trick can buy you a few more (months? years?) of useful ring gear at no
cost.
My $0.02 (Might be up to $0.04 by now...)
Chris Kotting
ckotting@iwaynet.net
>
> Actually, I think that the flywheel would stop in any of either two or four
> positions, so in order to reorient it, you would want to rotate it either 45
> degrees (if you want to try to reuse it once) or 30 degrees (if you are
> really daring and want to try to reuse it twice). Seems like you wouldn't
> want to bother for a 6 cylinder engine.
>
> Regards,
>
> Charles
> '74 Midget
> '68 Sprite
> cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
> Bloomfield, NJ
> "How about we duck inside for a Hen?"
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