Hello.

I'm having som issues with the flywheels buissnes.

I have a 273 engine that have broken down. I'm planing to replace it with a 318 or a 360. Will the flywheel fit on a 80's 318 whithout modifications?

i also wonder if this http://www.kmjent.com/cart/product.php?productid=2077 works? just to take a straight 273 or 318 flywheel and add this and it will make the stock 360 balanced right? seems like a much better alternative than finding a 360 stock flywheel.

 

Balanced...Balanced...Balanced is your question...360 is not...find you an aftermarket flywheel for a 360. Have the crank, rods and pistons balanced and you got it.

Your 273 LA flywheel will fit on a 318 LA motor.

 

tanks.
It's just that, a afermarket flywheel cost ten times more than the little wheight add-on in the link above, so if I can use one like that on a flywheel i already have i much rather do that. Also I have a lot of other things to do on the car and not that much time so i'm planing on not taking the engine apart.

 

I would check with the mfg on that. The listing is not specific enoiugh. I think it is for the 440 motor balance NOT the 360. I could be wrong !

 

Never seen an animal like that. Probably wouldn't want to use one either.

 

When I bought a 833 that I'm planning to use with a 360 in my hot rod i got a flywheel that have a lot of small holes drilled on one part of it. I haven't found any picture on a similar one but I have my suspicions that the holes is done to balance a 360. but how can I know if it's done for this purpose, and that its properly done?
can i if I fit it om my engine feel that it's in palance in any way (whitout starting it and risk to have it brake)?

 

That's how they are balanced when they are made, The special 360 B&M flex plate for the 360 looks like someone took a bite out of it...making the opposite side heaver for the balance factor.. Your overly worried. As long as you bought the correct flywheel you should be fine.
If you are planning on an engine rebuild you could have the whole assemble balanced

 

Some of you guys are confusing this issue. A stock 360LA is "overall balanced" by the fact that the factory was NOT ABLE to balance the engine INTERNALLY so instead they balanced the thing by using.......

A special front dampener

and.....

A special flywheel (stick cars) or weights on the converter (auto cars)

YOU CAN NOT simply rebuild the engine and "have it balanced" because you cannot simply "balance" a 360. If you could, the factory WOULD have

I do NOT like the looks of that dog-leg add on device pictured above. It seems to me that "sandwiching" that thing along with the flywheel? flex plate? is an invitation for disaster

So far as I'm concerned you have these options:

Get the properly made 360 flywheel (stick car)

If an auto.....either

get the proper converter with the 360LA weights on, or

use a 318/ 340 converter (no weights) and use one of the aftermarket B&M flex plates. The advantage of this is, that if you later decide to run a 318/ 340, you can just drop it in, and swap a stock flex plate back in.

The converter issue may be further complicated on early engines because the converter snout was smaller.

To make this issue worse, the 360 magnums are balanced "off balance" DIFFERENTLY than a 360LA, so if you are using a 5.9/ 360 magnum engine, you need yet different balance situation.

 

Thanx a lot. finaly a quite clear answer. I'we tried lots of furums and just getting more and more confused.

I am going to drive a stick, so flywheel it is. I will try to post a picture on the one I have here later to se whast yore opinion on it is.
I realy don't think I have a magnum engine. But how can I tell? I was told that it comes from an van 1981 (or maybe -84) can't remember at the time.

You start of by saying that they used a special damper and a special flywheel. does that mean that I have to get a special damper to then?

 

If the 360 you are going to use, and that old would be an LA, (not a magnum)---if it has the original 360 dampener, you are fine so far as the front goes.

The trick is gonna be getting a 360 flywheel that will go with your current bellhousing/ clutch. There's been lots of combos, but the A bodies did come with a small 10 1/2" clutch setup. Vans and pickups used bigger flywheels. I have no idea how many sizes there are over the years.

 

LA valve covers have 5 bolts Magnums have 10.

 

Okej. I will check for the dampner this weekend. But I think that everything in the fron is there. So this should be fine then.
About the size of the flywheel and clutch, it should be fine to. dont remember the size right now but I'we cheked the matchon that already.

I found a photo of the flywheel I got with the transmission. What do you think of it does it looks like it is for a 360?

 

okey. then its a LA i have. I suppose the magnum is a newer model then. I have the clacssic one

 

Yeap...see those five drilled out spots. That's where it was drilled to balance it out.