Flywheel size

Which size flywheel should I get for my 440 with an 18 spline 4 speed??

Personally I'd go with a 130 tooth, you can fit up to a 11" clutch on it, unless you feel the need for a larger tooth flywheel, then your choice of bellhousings becomes limited

so you are saying that it really does not matter which size I use....its for my 71 GTX....

Well, a 143 tooth requires a larger bellhousing, which can interfere with headers...

With an 18 spline I would be determining what disc and P Plate you want to run. Discs are kind of limited in 18 spline. (I run a McLeod, I think C-Force makes them from time-to-time but they aren't always available)

'Fla, soon to be Mich'


Well, how about that???


You wouldn't be talking some jack, now would you???

It depends on what bell housing you have also.scatter shield you can use both.Factory there are 2 different for wedges.Rocky

Let me state the obvious. There are two different flywheels that could be used. Each flywheel requires its own bellhousing. So for example you cannot use a 143 tooth wheel in a 130 tooth bellhousing, it won't physically fit. Also, you cannot use a 130 tooth flywheel in a 143 tooth bellhousing because the starter isn't in the right place.

Now on to specifics...Advantages to the 130 tooth wheel is it has a little less rotating inertia due to smaller diameter of the wheel and pressure plate. The 130 started out for a 10.5" clutch disk but the pressure plate was modified to accept a 10.95" clutch disk. Basically the same as an 11" disk.

The 143 tooth wheel is stock for an 11" clutch disk and if you wanted to you could bolt on a 12" pressure plate and disk. I like to do this in trucks and pickups. disadvantage of the 143 tooth wheel is more rotating inertia, especially if you go to a 12" setup. plus the synchronizers have to work a lot harder with a 12" clutch disk. I wouldn't suggest a 12" clutch on a street car unless there were very specific circumstances.

The factory bellhousings for bigblocks are getting expensive, at least certain ones, and I'd say find the bellhousiing and then get the other parts.
BUT...
There are many things I don't know about what fits where, you'd better ask someone who knows what is supposed to go into your car. Clutch linkages might also be a contributing factor.

R.

Good source of Mopar big block bell housing information.

http://www.brewersperformance.com/products.asp?cat=28

Depends on the Bellhousing you have ... as stated ...

Other things equal (including what bell housing size you have) I would suggest the 130 T setup. More clearance for headers, less inertia for the syncros and good clutches available.

Moved to FL from Alaska....Cant handle this extreme heat, and besides, mom and dad are still around and I am going to spend more time with them....

OK...let me state this....I am not that knowledgeable on 4 speeds....the car already has a bellhousing and I will have to see which one I have before I proceed....the car was originally a automatic car but has the 4 speed in it and what looks like a homemade quick shift.

Great information, thanx folks!!

I originally ran the 143 tooth flywheel & 11" clutch & the factory bellhousing was cast iron. Way-back-when there weren't a lot of performance 11" clutches available, so I switched to a 130 tooth flywheel and a 10-1/2" clutch, but the only bellhousing I could find for the smaller clutch was aluminum. The aluminum bellhousing cracked, was TIG welded, then cracked again (nitrous issue I think) + I like the toes on my right foot, so I upgraded to a Lakewood scattershield.

The Lakewoods will take either flywheel/clutch (offset arm for the smaller clutch comes with it). QuickTime (sp?) also has scattershields for Mopars and I think Lakewood recently bought that company. Anyway, at least for Lakewood, there is no advantage at all to getting a 2-piece scattershield. It "looks" like a nice inspection cover, but you have to unbolt the transmission anyway to open it. Even these scattershields can be destroyed by a nasty clutch explosion (ask me how I know) but they will contain all the flying pieces for safety. Looking back, I don't think I'd ever run another stock aluminum bellhousing, but it'd work fine on a "cruiser" car with no street/track racing.

And if you're trying to stay "stock", at least in 1970, the 383's got the 11" clutch and the 440/Hemi's got the 10-1/2". That always seemed odd to me since the larger clutch should hold better. And fyi - Centerforce clutches work great. My last Hays lasted 30 miles and one hard 1st-2nd shift. Don't let the diaphragm design throw you off...they're pretty darn strong. Just make sure to take out the over-center spring on the clutch pedal.

Incorrect, in 1970 and up B bodies and E bodies with B , RB or the Hemi all used the same bellhousing that required the 130 tooth flywheel. This flywheel only has a pattern for a 10.5" B+B pressure plate which can use a 10.5 or scalloped 10.95" clutch assembly.

Prior to 1970 383 and 440 used the same bell with a 143 tooth wheel while the Hemi had it's on bell, 172 tooth wheel and special starter ... 68 and 69 anyway , 65-67 ??