UGH!!! Starter Issue. HELP!

My flywheel is a 30# Mopar Performance 'steel' jobber, and it came on the car project. I had it resurfaced since I was installing a new clutch/Pressure plate. The ring gave no signs that it was nearly toast!!

To gat at & replace this flywheel at this stage... ugh..I would have rather nailed my tongue to a board than dismantle everything it took me 8 long evenings and a full weekend to do. BUT spot welding the ring to the flywheel had just waaaay too much bad ju-ju all over it...from every source and contact I made... just too many unknowns and horror stories, true or not.

BUT THEN.. I got into a few racing sights out of Austrelia, not sure how, and in there I found that this ring gear loosening apparently happens more often then here in the states (go figure?). What they do is 'PIN' the ring to the flywheel, and with great success and no vibration issues, according to MANY folk. DOH.... who'd have thunk?!

Here's the recipe:
First confirm the ring isn't cracked, split or broken. Then determine the amount of teeth and divide that by 5, 6, 7 or 8... whatever divides-out evenly, which in my case was '5' (130 teeth divided by 5 = 26).

Here's what I just finished doing (one pin at a time):
Tap the entire circumferance of the ring to ensure it's as seated and even as possible on the flywheel. Drill a hole slightly smaller than 1/8" in the valley beside every 26th tooth and into the flywheel 0.250". Using either hardened roll pins, 1/8" machine pins (my choice) and 1/8" drill rod; cut pin to the exact length and roll in JB Weld or some other automotive epoxy (added insurance) and drive the pin into the hole, seating at the base. Pin should be very snug but NOT super tight, or you could split the ring! The pin should be slightly sunken in the hole, then fill/cover the hole with the epoxy, sealing the pin. Once hardened, that pin isn't going anywhere. Dress out the tooth valleys or proper contour the next day.

Balancing..? Drill all the holes 'exactly' the same depth, custom cut all pins to 'exactly' the same length = same amount of material was removed from each hole and the pins being installed are all exactly the same length and weight... thus no balance fubar.

Recall that the ring has very little load placed on it, and what load there is is only there while cranking the engine. Those five pins equal a very substantial combined pin dia: 0.125" dia X 5 pins = 0.625" or well over a single 1/2" dia machinist pin. Can you imagine the kind of force it would take to shear a .625" hardened machinist pin...? Ain't gonna happen by just a starter. No fuss, no muss, no welding, no warpage, no flywheel weakness AND no exploding flywheels or other nightmares. :thumrigh:

Now... IF I had a large shop, air tools and piles of tools and money and time AND a couple helpers, I'd already have a NEW steel flywheel on the car. BUT as it is, that's not where I'm at... so I did what would serve my needs with what I have, and am satisfied it is a safe, efficient and productive "repair".

When I pull that engine again someday (please lordy not anytime soon), that flywheel will be quickly scrapped.:!: