would like opinions on welding the DMF

[65sixbanger]

If you have the flywheel out, you can actually take apart the DMF and remove the springs and little clutch device it has in there. i had to do this when a pressure plate bolt broke off in there. If I had known I was going to weld it I would have gutted it and welded it on the table instead of upside down.

 

[towtruckdave]

Is there a reason not to just replace the springs?

 

[pacaman]

I know some guys have sucessfully done it. In theory, if you make a bunch of small welds evenly spaced around you might make out OK. However, a lot of this depends on your skill as a welder. If you do the Lucky Mod, the skill required is much less. Also, if you opt to weld it, you really should gut it first, like you would with a lucky mod, or there may be noises from the loose and broken parts inside.

OK I have to ask. What is the "Lucky mod"? I am planning a clutch replacment this fall/ winter and was looking into a single mass fly wheel upgrade. I'm reading the forumns prior to the job and I see the term but haven't found the description.

Also; Should I plan on replacing the rear main while I have the fly wheel off?

Thanks in advance for the help.

PS: my last winter project was a Moose pump and "WOW" wish I'd done it sooner. Thanks Mel

 

[hesutton]

OK I have to ask. What is the "Lucky mod"?

CLICK HERE

It is in the Tech Articles at the top of the IDI page.

Heath

 

[94turboidi]

I am going over to pick mine up from the shop. I had it welded. They are a very professional shop the downside is that it has taken them 3-4 weeks to get around to it. They said they were going to preheat it a little bit before welding. I will take some pics of it when I get back home. They told me 20.00 to weld it. I think it would have taken me that much to buy a decent drill bit and bolts plus the frustration of not having a drill press. If it gives me any problem I will just switch the whole flywheel out later.

 

[TWeatherford]

My welder has a $40 setup fee. I'm sure getting him to drag his beer belly under the truck would be $60. Hope your flywheel does well for ya. Is your clutch sprung? Please let us know how it lasts.

 

[94turboidi]

Here it is. It looks like it will hold up fine. I guess I will find out. I left it all together before he welded it because I didn't want to mess anything up. I am going to try to cut out the springs with a angle grinder by cutting in a few places and pulling the pieces out so nothing is rattling around. I am sure it won't be completely balanced. I had him weld right where the pressure plate bolts to in six places.

 

[93iditurbo]

so i guess after welding the DMF together you have to get a clutch that has springs in it?

 

[HankHill]

so i guess after welding the DMF together you have to get a clutch that has springs in it?

thats what I'm guessing too,

let us know how that welded dmf works for you

 

[94turboidi]

SACHS Part # K006502 is the clutch kit I am ordering. It is 164.89 on Rockauto and yes it has springs in it. I am getting a few gaskets at the same time and they gave me a 5 percent discount code that they said anyone can use so if someone wants it let me know. I will be sure to let you know how it works out. It might be a few weeks before the truck is back together but if it is a bunch of crap I will let you all know so you don't waste your time. I think it will be fine though. They ended up only charging me 15 to weld it.

 

[RLDSL]

Here it is. It looks like it will hold up fine. I guess I will find out. I left it all together before he welded it because I didn't want to mess anything up. I am going to try to cut out the springs with a angle grinder by cutting in a few places and pulling the pieces out so nothing is rattling around. I am sure it won't be completely balanced. I had him weld right where the pressure plate bolts to in six places.

Nice looking job. THey welded it with good penetration and have roughly 2-3 times teh surface contact area of the bolts holding the pressure plate on. If it balances out, I don't see why it would have any trouble. I don't know if they balanced it, but a simple tire bubble balancer would tell you, and I imagine you could atach those stick on wheel weights on teh backside to balance it.

 

[94turboidi]

Yeah you can tell it was a hotter weld its not all smooth and pretty but it penetrates good. Ok that sounds bad but anyways if it all works out I will have about 180.00 into a "SMF" conversion.

 

[91idi]

Nice looking job. THey welded it with good penetration and have roughly 2-3 times teh surface contact area of the bolts holding the pressure plate on. If it balances out, I don't see why it would have any trouble. I don't know if they balanced it, but a simple tire bubble balancer would tell you, and I imagine you could atach those stick on wheel weights on teh backside to balance it.

or grind a little if its pretty close. If one of the weights came off it could get interrestin'

 

[sassyrel]

Nice looking job. THey welded it with good penetration and have roughly 2-3 times teh surface contact area of the bolts holding the pressure plate on. If it balances out, I don't see why it would have any trouble. I don't know if they balanced it, but a simple tire bubble balancer would tell you, and I imagine you could atach those stick on wheel weights on teh backside to balance it.

good idea--but nuh huh--toooo many rpms!!! wayyyyy faster than a tire--but any good machine shop could balance it--if they do engine balancing

 

[phazertwo]

Nice looking job. THey welded it with good penetration and have roughly 2-3 times teh surface contact area of the bolts holding the pressure plate on. If it balances out, I don't see why it would have any trouble. I don't know if they balanced it, but a simple tire bubble balancer would tell you, and I imagine you could atach those stick on wheel weights on teh backside to balance it.

If it balances out, and IF its not soft as a

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from being annealed from the heat of welding.

I will be interested to see how this turns out!


PZ

Edit: I would imagine that it would be hard to find a shop to resurface any modded flywheel, something to consider before putting money into modding it.