[Fot] Fw: Flywheel Bolt Locking Plates

[Bob Kramer]

The note about breaking the lower ear of the generator hit home. I had a 
Lucas alternator housing break at Watkins Glen. I had to force myself to 
shift earlier myself coming out of the toe of the boot after my tach told me 
I'd hit 8,100.

Bob Kramer
Volente, TX

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch 
excellence.
Vince Lombardi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Solow" <gregmogdoc at surfnetusa.com>
To: "Friends of Triumph" <FOT at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 3:14 AM
Subject: [Fot] Fw: Flywheel Bolt Locking Plates


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Greg Solow" <gregmogdoc at surfnetusa.com>
> To: "Jerry Van Vlack" <jerryvv at roadrunner.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [Fot] Flywheel Bolt Locking Plates
>
>
>> Lock tabs are made of soft material. The steel of the lock tab can and 
>> sometimes will compress where it is squeezed between the bolt head and 
>> the fly wheel. The clamping tension of the bolt on the flywheel is then 
>> reduced. The effect is as if the bolt had loosened, without it having 
>> done so. This occurred on my own Morgan, with a TR-4 engine, when the car 
>> was about 16,000 miles from new. It manifested itself as a rattle when 
>> the engine was gently revved from idle. The noise sounded like it was 
>> coming from within the timing cover, but it was noise transferring down 
>> the crankshaft from the rear of the engine. The bolt were found to be 
>> "loose". They were not stretched and the lock tabs were still bent over 
>> and locking the bolt heads. Since then, (1966) I have used high strength 
>> loctite and no washer on an iron flywheel or metric "wave washer" style 
>> lock washers, which are hardened steel, on alloy flywheels. On high 
>> performance engines we use bolts that are harder and higher strength than 
>> the original "auto" bolts.  The best standard bolts were labled "BEES" on 
>> the head. We have only had one "tractor motor" flywheel ever come loose 
>> since, and it was full race engine.  The driver had been revinig the 
>> engine to near 8,000 rpm coming down the switchbacks on the backside of 
>> the Pittsburg Vintage GP where he had not wanted to upshift and then 
>> immediately down shift into 1'st gear for the next hairpin corner.. The 
>> failure did not occur that weekend, but the next race weekend where we 
>> found the front generator end frame lower ear broken off, then shortly 
>> thereafter all 4 ARP flywheel bolts sheared and the flywheel lost its 
>> attachment to the flywheel completely. The dowel pin also was sheared 
>> off.. There is obviously a resonant frequency somewhere north of 7600 rpm 
>> that was inducing these failures. We normally insist that drivers keep 
>> the revs on a full race engine with steel rods, crank, alloy flywheel, 
>> light pistons, etc.below 7200 rpm which has been safe and reliable in a 
>> engine properly assembled with all of the correct necessary parts.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Greg Solow
>>
>> The Engine Room
>>
>> Santa Cruz, Ca. 95060
>>
>> 831 429-1800
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