Changing Ring Gears
Turbo Mini Forums

I need to swap a pre-engaged ring gear with an inertia one so that I can use one of these high-torque starters.

Is it a simple case of applying heat to the ring till it drops off and then heat the new one and slip it over?

I remember doing something similar in the dim and distant past, but though I would check first.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Hi,
Never done an A series one, but your right AFAIK. Remember the pinions approach from opposite sides so fit the ring gear accordingly
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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The traditional way to remove one is to drill a hole (parallel to the axis of the flywheel) at the root of one of the teeth, ie, between the root of the tooth and the internal diameter where it is shrunk onto the flywheel. Make the hole slightly smaller than the ring gear is thick at that point and just whack a coldchisel into that root. It should break cleanly and just lift off.

Heat the new one to put it on but make sure you drop it in place quickly and squarely. I'd also put the flywheel in the freezer overnight.

The trouble with trying to use heat to remove one is it is in intimate contact with the flywheel so it's near impossible to heat the ring gear faster/hotter than the flywheel.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Problem these days is that the steel lightweight jobs, the ring gear is also welded on, which can make it messy

Thanks guys.

The obvious alternative would be to find a high torque starter that can be used on a pre-engaged flywheel, but they seem to be pricey.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

http://www.powerlite-units.co.uk/applications.htm

can be bought from

http://www.eurolec-components.com/

Edited by miniminor63 on 29th Dec, 2008.

Good point by Sprocket, my lightweight steel one has about 3 little welds. Of course, on the positive side, that may be because thay aren't a very tight fit so might be very easy to get off (once the welds are removed) !!!

HOWEVER, one other thought.... I don't have two out of engines at the moment to look at, but isn't the lip that the ring gear butts up against, the opposite way around ???

(ie, the inertia goes on from one side and the pre-engaged from the other)

I can't be sure without two to look at, but worth checking.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

what about the minispares item? pre verto fly with verto ring gear?

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

I dunno how sucessfull getting a ing gear off in one bit is going to be.

You may find even if the flywheel and ring gear are heated by the same amount the ring gear will expand more. and come loose.

i was thinking of truning to press one off, by claming the fly wheel down on a flypress and pressing the ring gear and working around the circumference a bit at a time.

I paid £140 for a gear reduction starter for this very reason. I liked the cheapo modified Jap crap starters, but they were for inertia ring gears. I have to say however, that my brand new Lynx AE starter is almost identical to the modified cheapo Jap crap ones except for the pre engaged ring gear. Some times you just have to take the hit

Edited by Sprocket on 29th Dec, 2008.

If you search ebay for Toyota starters, it is easy to find out which one they are based on.

Trouble is, unless you know how many pinion teeth there are, you can't tell if it will work with the pre-engaged flywheel. Most of them seem to have 9 teeth making them OK for the inertia ring gear only.

However Lynx/Powerlite seem to be able to fit a pinion suitable. The question is how?

Edited by Paul S on 29th Dec, 2008.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

if you can get one cheaply cheaply, would it be worth getting one and stripping it down?

i know that you can get the armature right out. then its just how to get the new pinion on...

Edited by James_H on 29th Dec, 2008.

We need to find out which Toyota starters have the right size pinion for the pre-engaged flywheel.

The Mini inertia and pre-engaged starters both have 9 tooth pinions, but the pre-engaged is smaller on the OD and the teeth are thinner/sharper.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Hi,
The pinion that fits may not be from a Toyota as these starters are fitted to a good few other things, including Rover and Montego diesels!
Cheers,
Gavin :)

VEMs Authorised Installer / Re-seller. K head kits now available!

WB/EGT gauges. Click here for customers write-up

Visit www.doyouneedabrain.co.uk

My Mini build diary

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

im sure we've got a few landy boys on here.


LANDY!!! there is a N in there!!

Edited by James_H on 30th Dec, 2008.

I had good sucess getting a ring gear off in one bit,

big hammer, brass drift and somthing to put under the flywheel, good hard whacks, working arounf the circumrerenceat 1" intervals saw it come off in a few mins. dented the flywheel pretty bad though (was scrap anyway)

check for a ridge of rust/crap though, thast may wedge under the ring gear.

But Rod S has already told you, earlier in the thread, how to do this without drama.
I have done it regularly and just leave the flywheel in the freezer for a few hours and the new ring gear in the oven and they drop on.Get it seated smartly though, as the ring cools down very quickly and grips the flywheel.
Were you trying to save the ring gear rather than the flywheel?.

thats getting it on,

i mean getting an old one off for reuse on another flywheel