After all my questions recently about changing a flywheel
ring gear, I finally took the plunge and did it this
weekend.
Getting the old one off was quite simple. The manual says
to cut it with a cold chisel. I used a chisel, but instead
of cutting it, I just kept knocking it until it came off.
Only took about five minutes.
Getting the new one on was a different story. I finally
figured out which way the gear should face on the flywheel,
then proceeded to heat the gear in the oven while the
flywheel cooled in freezer. The ring dropped right on the
flywheel, went down about 3/4 of the way, and stopped. That
was it, there was nothing I could do to convince it to go
any further.
I consulted a fellow auto enthusiast (who happens to work
for Grumman and who has access to a very well equipped shop)
and he said "give it to me, I'll give it to someone in the
shop." Sure enough, he did, and the gear is seated right
where it's supposed to be. I think they used a big press
and shoved it the rest of the way on the flywheel. Anyway,
that's done and I learned a valuable lesson: when the manual
says heat it to between 500 and 700 degrees F, it means it.
On to other things now.
Has anyone ever replaced a BGT windshield? I hear it's
slightly difficult (like second behind a B Roadster
windshield).
Has anyone ever replaced the headliner and associated trim
in a BGT? Can I just buy the material and fabricate
something?
Kendall
|