5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Hello everybody,

I just bought a 95 Maxum 23 Ft with an "new" engine from the "crate", according to the former owner.
After 20 hours, my manifolds leaked and I got water in the engine. When I started the engine after this, the engine stuck and the starter "bendix" turned through the flywheel teeth's with a loud noise.
I got the engine free with mystery oil and WD 40 and the totally rotten manifolds complete replaced. Now the starter does not crank the engine well, because there is a "gap" of 8 lost teeth at the Mercruiser 222-9520 Flywheel.

I don't know what to do. A. First question how can a Flywheel be so SOFT that the starter teeth (bendix) has no scratch but the teeth on the flywheel were torn up. (looked like they are made out of cheap aluminum or cheap cast iron instead of steel.) I could easily polish them with a little Dremel grinder. Does anybody have an answer or an idea if GM would take any kind of warranty for this piece of crap? It looks like a general material problem and the engine got replaced in 2004 and had only 75 hours.

B. Is this a problem of "original" (cheap) parts coming with new engines from the "crate"? Are the after market flywheels made with a hardened steel ring or is this the same crap and I could have the problem again and fork out again a lot of money to get the mechanic taken out the engine and change the Flywheel.
C. Is there a repair method with liquid metal etc. to repair/form this 3/4 of the teeth's?
D. I don't like to buy the same "low" quality for a mercruiser list price of $ 450 + $1000 replacement costs. Is there any chance to use a PRW Billet Steel Flywheel with 168 teeth and with high Carbon steel ring for just $120 instead?
I'd appreciate any help or information on this problem. (Located Ft. Myers/ Florida)
Stefan.

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

You can replace just the ring gear on the flywheel. Count the teeth on the old ring gear and measure the flywheel diameter where the ring gear sits (Within a quarter of an inch). Give that info to NAPA and they can give you a ring gear.
No need for a new flywheel

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Ayuh,.........

A Ring Gear is a Ring Gear,...... It's Not Cheap Parts,.... There's No Warranty,... It's Owner Abuse....
And, as Don says,......
You need a Ring Gear,.... Not a Flywheel,......Chevy motors only come with 1 of 2 Possibilities,.....
The 153 Tooth, for the 12" flywheel+ the 168 Tooth, for the 14" flywheel....

It's Not about a Cheap Crap Replacement Part,...... The Flywheel Doesn't come on a Crate Motor,.....
It's no doubt the Original that was Reused,... Just like the Reused Junk Manifolds....

If you hadn't been Spinning the starter against a Seized Engine,... The Ring Gear wouldn't have Broken,......
And,....
If you had Replaced the Manifolds, Before they Crapped,......
You wouldn't have This Problem, Now.........

I Think that the Only Thing you should be Whining about is,....
The P/O Screwed you by putting the Old Manifolds Back on the New motor,........

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Did you mean rebuild or replace? - BIG BLOCK?

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Lizzardo, You might want to go to arcomarine.com and under catolog look at tech tips.The "new" GM starters can do this.The flywheel teeth don't get soft.

DHP

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

The new high-torque,reduction-type starters can waste a ring gear anytyme on a hydro-locked engine.Pull it.fix it,go fish!

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Thank you for your quick response.

This is my first inboard, the boat has been permanently maintained by a big marina and the manifolds looked good from the outside when I got my boat.
(It was my mechanic that suggested to get a new flywheel).

Will not crank the engine again without listen carefully to every noise.
Well I learned a lot and got very helpful information.
Thanks to all of you.
S.

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

F_Inscreenname

Talked to my mechanic he said he can not change the "Ring Gear" on the flywheel because we probably need to heat it up to get it off and we need
pressure to get the new one on?

As you said:
"Just got done changing my ring gear from one side of the flywheel to the other. Piece of cake. The hard part is just getting the flywheel off."

Question: How is the ring gear mounted on the flywheel ? With screws or pressed on or does he have to heat it up? What tools did you use?

Thanks for your help and info.
S.

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Talked to my mechanic he said he can not change the "Ring Gear" on the flywheel because we probably need to heat it up to get it off and we need
pressure to get the new one on?

Click to expand...

You need a new mechanic, that one doesn't know what he's talking about.
You can knock the old one off with a hammer and punch. The new one is heated with a torch and dropped in place and allowed to cool.
It's a very easy job. (once you get the flywheel off)

Re: 5.7 L 350 Mercruiser 97 Broken Flywheel Teeth

Ayuh,...... I Agree with Don,.... You need a New Mechanic,......

Here's a link to F_in's thread about His flywheel wows.....

Changing the Ring Gear is Well Explained there......