Flywheel?

As I understand the terminology "Match Balanced would mean that "ALL" your reciprocating assembly ie; connecting rods, pistons, crankshaft, harmonic balancer, flywheel, pressure plate have been balanced as an assembled "Unit".

So "if" ( unless you know the exact balancing procedure your engine was assembled using) your flywheel was balanced along with the other parts as mentioned.

Then the new flywheel would require to have the same material/s removed from the same location/s in order to have the new flywheel balanced to the same specifications/balance as the old/existing flywheel.

If the internal engine components were balanced independent of the flywheel being attached, then I would suggest having the flywheel & pressure plate balanced as a unit.

Cleveland/Pantera flywheel is 164 teeth...Mark

I have enough experience now that when I build a new engine the person that is to do the balancing is told "DO NOT TOUCH THE FLYWHEEL AND HARMONIC BALANCER".

IF you don't then they will take weight off rather than add Mallory metal to the assembly.

So far, that has never been necessary, although I am constantly "threatened" with that.

The entire point of this is that your balancer and flywheel should be replaceable at any time with a new unit. PERIOD.

Chances are though that on a 351 Cleveland (not a stroker) that you can change it and IF there is a slight imbalance it won't even show until high RPM's (over 7,000).

The Cleveland characteristics have it develope vibration (engine harmonics) at 6,000rpm and up.

The way you fix that is to add a balancer with more mass, i.e., the "boss/HO" balancer.

It's so effective at smoothing the engine, that it feels like it took 20 degrees off of the camshaft duration.

I have a new inquiry.

What RPMs do you redline your engine at & do you notice/feel any engine unbalance at those redline RPMS?!...Mark

To answer the OP, the 351-C has a 164-tooth flywheel gear, and the flywheel & damper are factory-balanced at 28.2 inch-ounces of offset. It you have a neutral-balanced engine, that means there is NO offset weight on either flywheel or damper and thus ANY neutral-balanced flywheel 'should' work (note-'should'). Most such flywheels have removeable weights for this purpose. But the neutral- balancing choice is most often done for full-bore race engines run at high rpms and which are balanced at maybe 10X the precision of street engines. Some are set up at 50% of certain weights while others may be set to 52%: so-called 'overbalanced'. This may be the engine builders choice depending on what he likes. So your advisor simply wants to make sure that your 'neutral-balanced' flywheel really IS neutral! Engine balancing is one of the last of the black arts in engine building.

Hi wich flywheel should I buy? I have no clutch and nothing...So I am free for your Suggestion ☺Thanks for help

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Hi wich flywheel should I buy? I have no clutch and nothing...So I am free for your Suggestion ☺Thanks for help

First, you do not have to use a Ford supplied flywheel. There are plenty of aftermarket offerings. The Pantera used an 11" clutch, which was larger than many (most?) of the small block Ford clutches of that time. Point being, even a proper sized 164 tooth Ford flywheel may not be drilled for an 11" clutch. Of course a good machinist can add the proper bolt pattern for an 11" clutch. But gathering a used Ford flywheel, and then a clutch disc and pressure plate from a vendor might just give you unforeseen compatibility problems.

But due to your location, I think the easiest method for you, while not likely the least expensive, is to buy a matched set of flywheel, clutch disk and pressure plate all from the same manufacturer.

Contact Dennis Quella at Pantera Performance, Castle Rock, Colorado. Tell him the specifics about how your car is to be driven and the engine being used. He is well known for his expertise with McLeod clutches, and I'm quite sure he can provide a proper flywheel, also.

Last, and certainly NOT least, is the clearance problem some owners have found when using a non-Pantera pressure plate on their Pantera. The Pantera pressure plate was unique from all other three-finger Long-style pressure plates, although few will notice the obvious difference between the two even when laid side-by-side. Non Pantera pressure plates have a counter weight cast into the outboard ends of the three fingers that may not clear the inside of the bell housing area. The interference may result in a cracked bell housing or damage to the ZF case.

And should someone chime in and say they have used a Mustang pressure plate without any problems, ask them if they will come and help you and cover expenses if your experience proves the same of those who regretted cutting corners with the non-Pantera pressure plate.

The non-stock but offered by the aftermarket diaphragm-style of pressure plates MAY not be a problem in a Pantera, I don't know. But the three finger non-Pantera Long-style units have been known to create problems.

Larry

This is what the stock finger looks like

Non-Pantera pressure plate finger

Match balancing of the new flywheel means they take the old flywheel and spin it to determine what imbalance exists. They then spin the new one and drill as needed to match the original imbalance. You do not need to disassemble the whole engine to do this, just take them the old and new flywheel and ask them to match the new to the old.

Are the bolts offset so the flywheel always goes back on at the same position? I can see the balance being lost if someone forgets to mark the position of their flywheel when removing, and then having no way to know where to clock the flywheel back on when reassembling.

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the position of their flywheel when removing, and then having no way to know

I believe the flywheel will only go on one way, because of the attachment bolt pattern.

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I believe the flywheel will only go on one way, because of the attachment bolt pattern.

Correct.

There is only one position that allows all six flywheel to crankshaft bolts to be installed.

Larry

Original Pantera pressure plate.

John

What application uses a 157 tooth flywheel?

I believe small block Ford V-8s like the 260, 289 and 302 use a 157 tooth with a 10-1/2" clutch.

It may be to late to recommend a flywheel, and clutch components, but if not, please take a look at McLeod, I have had great performance and tec help, very knowledgeable on Pantera, yes our cars, highly recommend them.