Flywheel Bolt$

George Farris

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Getting ready to install new clutch.

Went by local Dodge dealer to order fasteners.

Was adivsed that the 8 fastners for the flywheel are $16.95 EACH!!

WOW!! THAT'S A HIGH PRICE!!!

Are there other sources for these fasteners?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 

BAD BOYZZ GARAGE

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Use a new set of Factory OEM Bolts everytime flywheel is removed, serviced or replaced. Comes also with Locktite dressed threads.

This is a factory recommendation & cheap insurance. Also make sure you use a new Dana 44 Viper Strap Kit aswell.

Good luck with your project & post your clutch upgrade results ( type, trq rating, material ).

P.S. Check with the Viper Parts of America, they may have bolts at discounted pricing for the Viper Nation.

Toddy
 

Paul Hawker

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Some of these bolts are special specification.

They are designed to stretch at a certain torque setting. Can only be used once.

Special application.
 

Roysviper

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I just put in a new SPEC 3+ clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing and
looked all over town for new flywheel bolts with no luck. I went to our Local Speed Shop and they called ARP and was told they do not have ARP bolts for the Viper Flywheel....No I didn't go to the dealer... I installed the new flywheel with the old bolts with Red Loctite....Think I will be OK just this once????I sure hope sooooo....I really like this new clutch. It has a great padal feel and very very responsive...Ready for some more 5 grand launchs now, ha. Past best 60' is 1.45...Looking to beat that now. Too much fun!!! :drive: :omg: :D:D
 

CCBrian

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I just put in a new SPEC 3+ clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing and
looked all over town for new flywheel bolts with no luck. I went to our Local Speed Shop and they called ARP and was told they do not have ARP bolts for the Viper Flywheel....No I didn't go to the dealer... I installed the new flywheel with the old bolts with Red Loctite....Think I will be OK just this once????I sure hope sooooo....I really like this new clutch. It has a great padal feel and very very responsive...Ready for some more 5 grand launchs now, ha. Past best 60' is 1.45...Looking to beat that now. Too much fun!!! :drive: :omg: :D:D

Everything I have ever been taught was NO. If that flywheel comes loose at high RPM's you may be a one foot'd driver, as the alum. bell housing on these cars will not stop a flywheel at 6K from slicing through the transmission tunnel! Wrong place to save money folks.
 

GTS Dean

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Getting ready to install new clutch.

Went by local Dodge dealer to order fasteners.

Was adivsed that the 8 fastners for the flywheel are $16.95 EACH!!

WOW!! THAT'S A HIGH PRICE!!!

It's probably not so much the Viper Tax, as it is "the Suits" at corporate risk control. I'd go to my bolt bin and pull some Gr.8 hardware to compare size and grip length, then weigh them both on my reloading scale. If they looked good to me, I'd save the money. Your mileage may vary.
 
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99 R/T 10

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Everything I have ever been taught was NO. If that flywheel comes loose at high RPM's you may be a one foot'd driver, as the alum. bell housing on these cars will not stop a flywheel at 6K from slicing through the transmission tunnel! Wrong place to save money folks.


Those flywheel bolts are not going to come loose with RED loctite, gaurunteed.:2tu:
 

Jack B

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Stop at a Fastenal distributor, they should have the exact fastener. The first time i took mine off the bolts were next to impossible to get off. It took heat and a 3/4" impact tool. I have changed it several times since and it comes off fairly easy even with the red.

The first time I changed it, the bolts were leaking oil. When I put it back together i used the red thread lock, but, also a sealant toward the engine side.
 

Steve 00RT/10

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Some of these bolts are special specification.

They are designed to stretch at a certain torque setting. Can only be used once.

Special application.

I need educatin'. I don't understand why a flywheel bolt would be designed to stretch?

I can buy grade 8 bolts this size for 50 cents each at my local industrial parts place

...also, why do the clutch bolts need to be replaced? Maybe I missed it, but nowhere can I find in my Viper manual where it says to replace them.

And finally...why do the flywheel bolts need to be replaced if just putting a new clutch in?

Steve
 

EllowViper

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When I did mine, Sean Roe told me to just reuse them. So I did and no big deal. So take that as you may. Same with the pressure plate bolts, u-joint straps & bolts. He thought I could get away with reusing the u-joint straps once or twice, but he was more worried about the straps stretching/disorting vice the bolts elongating and becoming weak. That is basically the issue with reusing flywheel, head, u-joint bolts...after several tightening/loosening/heating sequences, they can become stretched/weakened (from an engineering/specification perspective) and they don't stretch back to their original size when loosened. Therefore retorquing is not as precise and you move into the engineering margins at this point. Now how much bolt strength is over-engineered into the equation or how much "margin" has been factored I don't know...but folks trying to sell you stuff will always play that "better be safe than sorry" card. So if you can sleep just fine at night reusing bolts and stuff. Knock yourself out. If not, the options are there.
 

steve911

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In some applications I can understand the stretch to yield concept (i.e. head bolts. rod bolts etc).
In those applications there is an area on the fastener that has no threads so the fastener can "stretch". Tell me how a fastener without any unthreaded area stretch? The threads have to remain constant other wise it won't thread into the crank.

I tried an experiment at home with some Fly wheel bolts I have and a viper crank. Using a micrometer, ther was no measureable difference in length at specified torque or even at 25% over torque.

Now if you were to tell me that you were changing out the bolts due to a potential reduction in SHEAR strength from the constantly changing rotational shear torque on the bolt from the flywheel I would agree 110%.
 

Paul Hawker

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Fresh bolts often stretch at the threads under torque. This kind of locks them into their carriers.

Don't know about this specific application, but most racing applications will specify fresh bolts with rebuilds. Drag cars in particular can even stretch out bolts during runs.
 

1TONY1

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Good grief. Do you really think anybody else in the world...a gazzillion mustangs, big block chevys and the list goes on forever really puts new bolts in everytime. **** no !!!!

Mine have been on and off no less than 25 times....oh yea....I just ran 157+mph this past Sunday with the original 70,000+ mile bolts. Gezzz almighty.

Hey, heres an idea...you guys that replace one use bolts send them to me :D
 

BAD BOYZZ GARAGE

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1TONY1,

That's a mean mph! What clutch & rear diff do you run if you don't mind me asking?

Not to change-up this thread, just curious.

Toddy
 

1TONY1

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1TONY1,

That's a mean mph! What clutch & rear diff do you run if you don't mind me asking?

Not to change-up this thread, just curious.

Toddy

That was actually with the powerglide. Six speed numbers coming soon but I expect them to be at least that or better. For some reason (computer issues ??) the boost wouldn't turn up (13.5 psi for these numbers). ET was 9.30's and I wanted at least an 8 at 160+ to be satisfied enough to put the stick back in this week. The numbers in my sig were ran with a Spec stage 3+ clutch and stock rear with Unitrax 1000hp shafts. That is still the same setup now when the stick is in.
 

GTS Dean

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Mine have been on and off no less than 25 times....oh yea....I just ran 157+mph this past Sunday with the original 70,000+ mile bolts. Gezzz almighty.

Hey, heres an idea...you guys that replace one use bolts send them to me :D

Well. That settles it then.
 

1TONY1

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Well. That settles it then.

I'm going to have to rethink the 157mph with the original bolts :D :dunno:

How about, I ran 151 with 70,000 mile bolts (on/off/on/off/etc)and ran 157 with allen head bolts (the auto flywheel) that have been on/off about six times. And WILL run 160's with the stock high milage bolts and a stick !!!
 

Paul Hawker

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No string of complaints here about flywheel bolts coming off at speed. Does not seem to be a known problem.

Understand the concern about paying a high price for new bolts when it is only a rotating part, but if the cost is not an issue, maybe new bolts of proper spec. For the rest of us, perhaps reuse the factory originals if in good condition.

(now rod end bolts are a different animal.)
 

1v10ram

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i snapped a bolt putting my clutch in. took a big chance and left it. all good for 6 months, then one of the bolts came loose and now there are 2 missing, and the clutch does not fully disengage. its about time for a new clutch alraedy, i cant even find a bolt for 16 bucks.
 

MoparMap

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Have you tried ARP? They make plenty of bolt kits and I thought they had some Viper ones. They might be "upgrades" over the factory, but a bolt is better than no bolt.
 

Dan Cragin

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The issue with reusing these bolts is that they stretch and hit the rear main cap on the crankshaft and put metal in the oil.
I've seen it numerous times. That's why they are 1 use only.
 
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