VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 216 Flywheel bolts

I how have my engine home and am getting it ready to reinstall in my car. I had been alerted by the foreman at the machine shop, that handled my rebuild, that some of the flywheel bolts were stretched. My specific flywheel uses a 3/8" fine threaded bolt that should only be torqued around 40 pounds according to him. With all my messing around removing flywheels through the years I could have easily exceeded this, so stretched bolts were no surprise, but also something I never thought of. Running a nut on all my flywheel bolts easily identified the bad ones since the nut got hung up in the stretched area. I confirmed this with measurements taken with my micrometer. The stretched bolts were significantly longer than the those that were not. the bad bolts measured about 1.272 inches, the good ones about 1.208.

He also mentioned that I should use a non hardening gasket sealant on the bolts to keep oil from leaking from the bolt holes tapped in the crankshaft. Upon inspection of these holes they do not seem to pass through the crankshaft and into the part of the block that has oil in it. Am I right or is he? Thanks, Mike

That's one stretched bolt you have in the photo there, alrighty...Doesn't appear to be a fine thread, though...Fine threaded bolts are never used in cast iron ( just a note ) as cast iron will not take much over torquing to strip the hole clean of threads...with the use of fine threads...On your flywheel I think I'd just toss them all and go with new one's...We're only talking a few extra bucks, for a good night's sleep...Besides, the old bolt that looks good now might start to stretch on the next re-torquing...Who knows...?

Nice "cherry picker" by the way...

Your not going to run a "two piece" lower radiator hose...? Wondered about the different color on your rocker arm cover as well...

Use some Permatex #2 on the threads and you will be good.
I would use new bolts. Don

That bolt really pops out that it had been stretched. New bolts will equal peace of mind.

I had a one piece lower radiator hose and I suspected it of collapsing at freeway speeds...They didn't make two piece lower hoses for the fun of it... FS sells some nice ones, with the GM label and clamps...Check'em out...There not expensive...Think it was $30 bucks or so...And the tube is stainless...Clamps are original looking, too...Kevin