ericbauer Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hi all, I'm using a pair of gear reduction starters I bought new, on two different cars. One car had a billet lightweight flywheel from Japan that I bought off eBay a while back, the other has an OS Giken flywheel. I've measured both aftermarket flywheels' teeth & have found them to be narrower than stock, and in both cases I've seen the gear reduction starter take a bite out of them... The billet one got so bad there was a section of about 10teeth ground almost completely off. I had the local machine shop mill off the teeth entirely and bolt on a stock steel ring gear - it worked well. I've since sold that flywheel to Todd at WCR and he's had no complaints about it. I've since replaced that one with a NOS Tilton/Nissan Comp unit that I recently came across. I'm using normal ZX 5 speed trannies on both cars. And I'm using the normal dust plate between the block and the bellhousing - so starter pinion to flywheel teeth spacing should be stock... I've checked the pinion gear on both gear reduction starters and they don't LOOK damaged... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the gear reduction starter spins slower than the stock unit but makes more torque, right? Maybe I should switch back to a stock non-gear reduction if its extra torque is what's damaging my flywheels?? Is there anything I'm missing to ensure this doesn't keep happening? Thanks for your help! -e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Alignment and/or spacing with how the starter is installed issue? Can you reinstall the stock flywheel and refit the starter? If the starter works with the stock flywheel then it is the after market flywheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericbauer Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hey Miles Thanks for the reply... On the face of it, I agree there has to be a spacing issue, but I can't however be the only one with two different brand aftermarket flywheels that are both having issues with two different gear reduction starters - can I? -e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I had a friend with an HKS that chewed up some teeth with a stock starter. I think the issue might be more with the flywheels than with the starter. I had a gear reduction unit and used it with the old AZC that had a pressed on starter ring. Used it for years, no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericbauer Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Stock ring gear steel teeth vs (softer) billet alloy teeth it is then! - thanks Jon... -e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yeah, I can't imagine Aluminum teeth sized smaller than their steel counterparts lasting very long. Aluminum has poor fatigue properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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