So i did a clutch/flywheel and transmission on my 01 SE about a month and a half ago. When it was done it fired up fine and was perfect. About three weeks ago i noticed the car was getting harder to start. And it seemed to get progressively worse and now it will crank/stop/crank and then start or it will just crank for 4 or 5 seconds and then start almost like the timing is off.

The starter was new so i picked up a CPS sensor because i had the same exact starting problem in my 4th gen and that's what it ended up being. I put the sensor in tonight and it did the same thing. BUT while cranking the car i had my friend looking at the timing ring inside the hole where the CPS goes into the trans and he said it's wobbling while the car is cranking.


It started perfect for three weeks and now it barely starts. My guess is the sensor can't get an accurate reading on the timing ring because it's not true but how ? The flywheel is a Fidanza and the clutch is ACT. I need to know if Anyone else has run into something like this before, obviously the trans has to come out again and im curious if we missed something like a spacer or washers or something.

The car has a slight vibration under acceleration but i thought it was a bad pass axle but maybe it's related to the timing ring spinning out of alignment. The car runs drives and shifts beautifully. When we moved the sensor toward the pass side it started better so i guess the ring would have to be moved to the right a little. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'm far from an expert, but I'd install a dial indicator in the timing hole, and bar the engine over by hand with the clutch pedal depressed (disengaged). Easy way to check FW runout without disassembly, that will at least tell you if the FW is true.

Possible the ring gear warped after things warmed/cooled a number of times, as they're just a press on unit and you're dealing with an Aluminum FW.

 

That's what im thinking tuner but the ring isn't true at all you can see it moving left to right upon cranking.

 

Is it the ring or the whole FW?

 

i could see how this would cause a no start. crank sensor cant get a good contact

 

And I just realized that you probably shouldn't depress the clutch when checking.

 

Honestly man i was so disgusted i didn't even check. Either way it's going to have to come out and hopefully the flywheel isn't junk i just bought it

 

^ they should at least refund the cost of the FW if not partial labour costs, supposing you can get someone you know to print out a receipt that looks reasonably real with a true Business number.

All things said though, I'll never buy a LW flywheel, I've researched the crap out of them and they really seem to be more of a placebo effect anyways on most cars. Not to mention added chatter, lost reliability, etc, etc. All that said, stock FW's are stupid expensive, so I can't fault anyone for going the cheaper route, I'd probably do the same if stuck in that situation. But I'd never throw a good stock FW away for a cheap lightweight one.

I'm so glad I don't have to do a clutch on a FWD 3.5 Hat's off to you sir.

 

My friend is having trouble w/ his Fiddy FW because of the design, the bolts broke causing the starter ring to spin.

I've stripped out the bolts bolting the PP properly easily

So what I'm saying is, it probably is not out of this realm that the trigger ring got bent somehow during operation or just wore out.

 

^Thought they were interferance/press fit rings on the Fidanzas? (You'd know better than I)

 

Im not sure if it's the ring gear thats not true or the flywheel causing the ring gear to wobble. All i know is there is zero chatter when engaging or dis engaging the clutch which leads me to belive it's the gear and not the F/W. But it almost looks as though the ring gear needs to be moved over more to the driver side because when you push the CPS to the left and try to start it starts better unless its just the ring being un true.

 

You can separate all of the pieces on the fiddy flywheel.

You can order a new one separately and they won't charge you an arm and a leg, it was like $40 for my 3.5 timing ring on my 6mt fw.

 

I still need to see if it's the flywheel thats not true thats throwing the ring off or if its just the ring. I re used the old ring and never had a problem with the car starting that's why im kind of pointing to the flywheel. But then again theres no chatter ?? Only a slight vibration under acceleration which i thought was my pass axle.

 

Problem solved, I ran a ground from the negative on the battery to the starter bolt and it fired right up, Thanks goes to this thread. Another starting problem-replaced just about everything

 

I would've suggested that knowing you had the trans out because it's common, but you mentioned the FW has visible runout, there's no way a ground is fixing FW runout......

 

my friend and i recently swapped out an engine on a 5.5 gen where the owner had recently installed a LW flywheel. We found all of the bolts that secure the flywheel to the engine to be loose. The flywheel itself wobled on the crank. The flywheel go damaged pretty bad that it ended up needing replacement. I hope this is not the same issue as ours but from the looks of it, it might be the same.

The problem I believe is the bolts have a hard time staying in place. Just like when mounting aluminum wheels, it is recommended to re-torque everything within 25 miles or so, i believe the bolts to the flywheel just don't torque properly. Did you use thread lock? If you can see the flywheel wobble through the cps hole, I would strongly suggest not to run the car and drop the tranny asap to prevent further damage.

 

I see what both of you guys are saying and i know the factory allows some run out but not sure what the tolerances are, But the F/W bolts could have backed out i guess. I tightened them to factory specs and followed everything to the T.

 

They will torque just fine. 2 step torquing with red threadlock. then a double check torque, then check runout. There is a timing slot that needs to be lined up, and you are supposed to make sure all mating surfaces/hubs are 100% clean and to OEM specs., Failure on any of these will cause an issue down the road with a lightweight aluminum FW. They're fickle.


I don't know offhand I'll check the FSM. Offhand though, I can definitely say that whatever the specs are, you shouldn't be able to see it by eye, and especially not through a timing hole. Something is wrong.

 

It's only been in there for 800 miles or so but i guess the way aluminum is you never now.

 

Our Flywheel are bushing mounted to the crank. So, yes, you can expect some wobbling at start when the starter applies force to one side of the FW.