hello everyone,

 

I have a 2000 forester and I need to start thinking about putting a new clutch in. I have around 222,000 miles on it and the clutch has already been replaced once.

my question is, how many times can you resurface a flywheel? I know resurfacing a flywheel is determined by how much of the flywheel is left, but in general how many times can you resurface a flywheel, or should plan for a new flywheel in my budget?

 

thanks

-Lance

Two or three times usually. Depends on how much you have to take off.

The flywheel was resurfaced at the time of the first clutch replacement?

the last time I got my clutch replaced I was out of the country for a year and my parents had it done for me, so I don't know if the flywheel was resurfaced. I would assume that it was resurfaced, but you know what they say when you assume.

 

thanks

-Lance

Is the clutch engagement smooth? No chatter, or anything like that? Also, does it currently slip?

 

If it's smooth with no chatter or slip, likely it just need a surface finish and not much material taken off. When I did my GL's clutch I was actually 1200 miles from home on a business trip in someone's back yard... I just sanded the flywheel really well with 80 grit, and it's fine.

Some flywheels are supposed to have a small step where the disc rides. It's usually a step up, so if yours is worn and there is a step down you probably want to have it resurfaced. If there isn't any noticeable wear or step then you can get away with going over it really well with sand paper or emery cloth.

Some flywheels are supposed to have a small step where the disc rides. It's usually a step up, so if yours is worn and there is a step down you probably want to have it resurfaced. If there isn't any noticeable wear or step then you can get away with going over it really well with sand paper or emery cloth.

 

If the '00 Forester is the same as the '99, which I think it is, there's not step in the flywheel. I just did a clutch job and my flywheel engagement surface had a decent bow to it, I'd say at least .010" if not more. I had it ground at a local shop for $30 and I've had no problems.

 

I don't know the maximum amount of material you can take off, The limiting factors I see are how far the engagement surface is above the bolts that hold the flywheel to the crank and how deep the holes are for the pressure plate bolts.

 

But I'm sure there's a spec out there sompeplace, maybe somebody with a FSM (Factory Service Manual) will be kind enough to post.

I'd love to find that out as well.

I do know the step on a 96 EJ22 flywheel is 0.005", according to my local machinist. So little you could barely tell it was there. (might as well not be :-p )

 

I've searched the FSMs multiple times and haven't yet found a spec for flywheel thickness. Haven't found the step spec. either.

I'd love to find that out as well.

I do know the step on a 96 EJ22 flywheel is 0.005", according to my local machinist. So little you could barely tell it was there. (might as well not be :-p )

 

I've searched the FSMs multiple times and haven't yet found a spec for flywheel thickness. Haven't found the step spec. either.

 

Same here, never found it. Just checked again too. Its not much. I have a cheap source of new flywheels too if it comes to that.

Same here, can't find anything in the FSM. Although, a machine shop can probably put the step back in if it's supposed to be there. The ea81/2 flywheel has a big step, and they just grind the friction surface and the bolting surface separately.

I'd love to find that out as well.

I do know the step on a 96 EJ22 flywheel is 0.005", according to my local machinist. So little you could barely tell it was there. (might as well not be :-p )

 

I've searched the FSMs multiple times and haven't yet found a spec for flywheel thickness. Haven't found the step spec. either.

 

No kiddin? a .005" step? I had a '96 and I took that flywheel into work with me and turned it. I thought it was flat, at least it looked and felt flat. But it never occurred to me to check for so tiny a step so I could have easily missed it. I was looking for something like the EA step which only someone with a severe astigmatism could miss. That flywheel didn't have the bow this one did, just heat spots. I took .040 off to clean up and put about 40k on it after that without chatter or any other problems.

 

Well, next time I have the components accessible, I'll see if I can't figure out what is the necessary clearance between the non-friction components of the friction disc and the flywheel.

Edited June 27, 201213 yr by lostinthe202

I was looking for something like the EA step which only someone with a severe astigmatism could miss.

 

:lol::lol:

No kiddin? a .005" step? I had a '96 and I took that flywheel into work with me and turned it. I thought it was flat, at least it looked and felt flat. But it never occurred to me to check for so tiny a step so I could have easily missed it. I was looking for something like the EA step which only someone with a severe astigmatism could miss. That flywheel didn't have the bow this one did, just heat spots. I took .040 off to clean up and put about 40k on it after that without chatter or any other problems.

 

Well, next time I have the components accessible, I'll see if I can't figure out what is the necessary clearance between the non-friction components of the friction disc and the flywheel.

 

That's why I said it might as well not be there! Cost me an extra $10 to have the step cut too!

That's why I said it might as well not be there! Cost me an extra $10 to have the step cut too!

 

Ha! Yeah, that's us shifty machinist for ya. My shop's rate, which I won't divulge here, is staggering.

I don't mind paying a little extra to have an extra cut done if it really needs it, this case was just so minimal. If I had known the step was so small I would have said to just make it flat. He also charged me $10 to pull the alignment pins out. Which I was fine with because the last time I tried to get one of those pins out (on my truck) I mangled the hell out of it. Had to go buy a new one, cost me $8 plus gas going back and forth from the Ford dealer twice. :-p

I don't mind paying a little extra to have an extra cut done if it really needs it, this case was just so minimal. If I had known the step was so small I would have said to just make it flat. He also charged me $10 to pull the alignment pins out. Which I was fine with because the last time I tried to get one of those pins out (on my truck) I mangled the hell out of it. Had to go buy a new one, cost me $8 plus gas going back and forth from the Ford dealer twice. :-p

 

Well, 10 bucks for an extra cut really is pretty good, assuming it's right of course. He may be banking that you, like most of his customers, have no way of checking to see if that step is actually .005 which is about a .001" above the thickness of a human hair for those readers wondering just what kind scale we're talking here.

 

I gotta say I agree on those pins, when I cut that flywheel at work that I mentioned, there was one I couldn't get out when I was at home working on it and managed to mangle it pretty good. I tried heat and fluids etc, but what it came down to is that I had no way to get a decent pull there at home. What I really needed, and what I ended up using when I brought it in to work, was a drill press. Took a scribe with a nice sharp point, a small drill bit, like 1/16th would work, put it in the chuck and eyeballed the center of the pin, took the scribe out and then clamped the chuck around the pin. Clamped the flywheel down then pulled the pin out. Mechanical advantage is a friend for those who have, well mechanical advantage at their disposal I guess.