Flywheel Bolts

[Kovstag]

About to refit the flywheel and the manual says, use new bolts as they have a nylon insert. A new set of bolts £50 arhhhh is it really necessary or would thread lock/ locktite do. Any ideas ?

[GDPR]

Threadlock will do, but it is mainly used as a sealant because the crank is drilled right through and oil can come up the threads...

[Doug]

Next week I have the same task.
Nice one, thanks for good info.

[flying farmer]

I once had a flywheel come loose because I didn't use locktite on the threads, I then realised as Kryten said, that oil could also come up the threads. Never had a problem since, and never used new bolts on several engine rebuilds.

Neil

[dasadrew]

Probably completely wrong here, but I thought the idea of replacing the bolts was due to the heat they'd have been exposed to??? They certainly look like pretty high tensile stuff and all that.

Had a FWD Escort turbo once and the manual said to replace the clutch plate bolts in the flywheel EVERY time. I thought to myself that they looked good enough to re-use but, as I tightened them, all of the heads sheared off.

I agree that the price is phenomenal; Peter at LD is looking for a cheaper alternative.

Edit following Russ' & Neil's posts:

"Set of used flywheel bolts for sale. Cleaned and pre-smeared with Loctite blue. only £5 each" ....

[flying farmer]

I would have thought that heat in the crank bolts would not be a problem as the crank is oil cooled and a distance from the friction area.

Having seen flywheel faces blued by heat from slipping clutches though, I can understand the clutch cover bolts suffering from the heat. That said they must be some strange construction or size as the bolts are not really heavily loaded components as the dowels locate the clutch cover and the bolts just retain the spring tension.

Neil

[Staggard]

Probably completely wrong here, but I thought the idea of replacing the bolts was due to the heat they'd have been exposed to??? They certainly look like pretty high tensile stuff and all that.

Had a FWD Escort turbo once and the manual said to replace the clutch plate bolts in the flywheel EVERY time. I thought to myself that they looked good enough to re-use but, as I tightened them, all of the heads sheared off.

I agree that the price is phenomenal; Peter at LD is looking for a cheaper alternative.

Edit following Russ' & Neil's posts:

"Set of used flywheel bolts for sale. Cleaned and pre-smeared with Loctite blue. only £5 each" ....

all of the heads sheared off. You should have stopped after the first one Drew

[Kovstag]

Thanks for all the valuable info guys, I think the reason for replacing the bolts is the oil coming up the threads as the holes go all the way through the crank, my stag has 6 bolts I belive the earlier ones have only 4 . I reckon if I buy new bolts they will just be standard bolts with a blob of locktite on so I think I will use the original ones and use a good thread sealant.

[dasadrew]

all of the heads sheared off. You should have stopped after the first one Drew

Dooohhhh!