How to Remove a Flywheel From a Chevy 350
by John Stevens J.D.
The flywheel is often the last component checked when encountering a starting problem on Chevrolet’s 350 engine. The flywheel is attached to the back of the crankshaft. Around the edge of the flywheel are metal teeth. When the starter motor is engaged, a gear within the starter meshes with these teeth to turn the engine. If the teeth on the flywheel have worn down, the starter will not be able to turn the flywheel and the engine will not start. The flywheel is held in place only with retaining bolts. However, accessing the flywheel is what makes removing it time-consuming.
Step 1
Remove the negative and positive cables from the vehicle’s battery with a wrench.
Step 2
Unfasten and remove the two mounting bolts which hold the starter motor to the passenger’s side of the transmission’s bell housing with a wrench, then pull the motor out of the transmission.
Step 3
Unfasten and remove the bolt at the base of the radiator with a wrench and allow the antifreeze to empty into a container.
Step 4
Loosen the hose clamp at the tip of the top and bottom radiator hoses with a nut driver and pull both hoses off of the front of the engine.
Step 5
Remove the two bolts which secure each exhaust pipe to its exhaust manifold with a wrench, then pull the exhaust pipes away from the manifolds.
Step 6
Remove the four securing nuts which attach the front of the torque converter to the back of the flywheel with a wrench. Access the nuts from the bottom of the front of the transmission. Rotate the crankshaft at the front of the crankshaft to access each nut. Turning the crankshaft will turn the flywheel, which causes the torque converter to rotate.
Step 7
Unfasten and remove the bolts which secure the back of the cylinder block to the front of the transmission with a wrench.
Step 8
Disconnect the two sides of the engine from the engine compartment. Each side of the engine features a bracket with a single bolt which runs through the bracket. Remove the bolts from their brackets.
Step 9
Connect an engine hoist to the cylinder block, following the hoist manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 10
Raise the engine slightly with the hoist, then pull the engine towards the front of the vehicle using the hoist until the cylinder block detaches from the front of the transmission.
Step 11
Unfasten and remove the bolts which surround the center of the flywheel with a wrench, then pull the flywheel off of the back of the crankshaft.
References
- “Motor's Auto Repair Manual”; Ralph Ritchen; 1968
- “How to Rebuild Your Small-Block Chevy”; David Vizard; 1991
Things You'll Need
- Wrench
- Container
- Nut driver
- Engine hoist
Writer Bio
John Stevens has been a writer for various websites since 2008. He holds an Associate of Science in administration of justice from Riverside Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from California State University, San Bernardino, and a Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School. Stevens is a lawyer and licensed real-estate broker.
