A couple of quick points on re-assembly in addition to what Mur said, set the crank at TDC before you put everything back together, there is a two piece washer assembly that rides behind the flywheel, setting it at TDC means the C shaped part faces down and won't fall out at an inopportune moment.

Second, the locknut and jam nut on the end of the clutch shaft are there for an important reason - they limit how far/hard you can shove the flywheel and ultimately the crankshaft against the thrust washers inside the engine.

MM has a pretty good tutorial on setting that locknut up - remove the spring on the clutch slave, pull the clutch arm back to push the release bearing against the pressure plate, then set the stop bolt at about 20 thou clearance between it and the clutch arm. Reattach the spring and run the lock nut in till you can just drop an 1/8th inch drill bit between it and the housing, then lock the jam nut.

Good luck with your project!

I went ahead and installed the ring gear.  With some heat and some patience, everything went together well. My proprane and map gas torch did the trick (though it took a long time to heat.  I kept stopping and trying it, then heating it longer.. and longer.  Then at one point it started slipping over the flywheel and a couple quick smacks with a hammer seated it right down...   Looks good.   

Now,  time to start putting everything back in the car.   

You may have a lightened flywheel the thick gear will still work fine just a 1/8" or so will hang off the edge.


Jeff

One RING GEAR removed!!   Cutting wheel and punch made easy work of it.  Thank You very much for the direction.

Pulled the new ring gear out of the box and wait... is it thicker than the one I just removed..  Calipers..  yup.   The ring gear removed was a thinner 0.35"  and new one is 0.5"..  hmmm..  Looking at the fly wheel, there is a slight recess groove which the 0.35" ring gear sat.   I should have measured the old one prior to buying a new one.  I though when I picked it out, it said the thinner ring was for an automatic.  
I suppose it could have been changed over to the thinner one at some point in time as well.
 
By any chance does anyone know if the 1/2 inch ring will work on a fly wheel which had the 0.35" ring?  We are not looking for high end performance, but rather just a get around the town car.  I am thinking not, as the ring will probably not seat properly.

John

PS.  Cool video on the train wheel replacements..  reminds me back when I used the change out shaft bearings on a boat.. we used to freeze them in dry ice.. pop them right in.

Minimans has described the simplest and easiest method of removing the ring gear. 

DAM2821 is the part number for the dust excluder.
LUF10005 is the part number for the primary gear seal.

While there are cool tools to do the job, once the retaining ring is removed, the primary gear basically can be pried off of the tail of the crank, pulling the seal with it. While changing the seal is always a good idea any time you are in there, you can also get a look at the primary gear bushes and feel the end play of the idler gear, or even measure it. On the one hand, it is good to know, but on the other hand, chances are it will seem a bit on the loose side of spec. A person could rebuild their gearbox and drop gears constantly. I would only be particularly concerned if the rear primary gear bushing's end has broken off.

As always, use your workshop manual to get a good understanding of these issues.

One more thing, while I will re use a clutch plate if it looks fine, I do like to change throwout bearings. However, while this is a good time to inspect the throwout bearing plunger and lever arm, I suspect that only the expensive replacements are any better than what you have. If the ball end of the lever arm is worn, consider welding it up and re shaping it. 

You only want to heat the ring gear, not the flywheel. Best to heat it quickly all around so it expands and breaks its grip on the flywheel. The same process was used to put iron tires on wooden wagon wheels and steel tires on steam locomotive driving wheels. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im7FcwpbO1A

Heat it is...   I like the cut of part and break it with a chisel.. I have a small cut off wheel that will probably do the trick.

I will do that tomorrow.  

Thank you.. 

To remove the ring gear just cut part way through at one of the teeth, then take a sharp chisel and give it a good smack it will break at the cut and fall off! to fit a new gear you will have to heat the ring until it starts to change color then put it over the cold flywheel making sure it's fully home against the ridge. sounds worse that it is. let the whole thing cool down do not quench it!

Apply heat the ring gear it will loosen up.

My parts arrived yesterday and tonight I put the fly wheel puller on and got the flywheel off.  Not too bad of a job.  Seemed to come right off once I had all the puller square and smacked the flywheel through the starter opening.

Next step,  get the ring gear off..  OK ok ok,..  everyone laugh now..  Ha ha ha..  How in the heck do you get the ring off?  Looks to me like the ring gear is just pressed on?   I see no screws at all.     

This looks like it will be a beast to press on if that is the case..

I think I know why it was suggested to buy a second hand flywheel if I could find one.

Anyways..  any pointers?  I am going to soak the ring with pb blaster and let it sit a couple days.  

John,  I'd be happy to give a hand.  What service manuals do you have?  Keith

Its been while since I have ate at Tony Packos.  We get the "Sweet Hots" pickles all the time.  All you guys out west and up north have no idea what you are missing.   

Tony Packos became famous years ago when "Clinger" (Jamie Farr) on "Mash" always said he wanted to go their.  Jamie Farr was from Toledo..

Anyways,  awesome place for some hungarian hot dogs, paprikash, dumplings, ... and beer......  It is nothing fancy, but the original restaurant has hot dog buns all over the wall that were signed by many famous people.  


I have ordered some parts and a puller, I hope it should arrive in the next week and at which time, I will take a stab at getting the flywheel off.

I will keep everyone updated and thank you for the help..
John

Solid video about removal

 https://youtu.be/dh8rVdNNP5U?list=PLC6pySlMGdyTr5OXpF7w726LzHPLLfimi

John,  Did you have any luck yesterday?  I am about 2 hours away (48116).  I could provide help if you'd like.  I am always looking for an excuse for a Tony Packo's lunch.

Since this IS a small bore engine, remove the crankshaft bolt, but with the pressure plate, etc. in place, take your trusty hammer, bless it with the appropriate rights for the gods of your city, and then from the front of the engine, through the starter hole, give it a fabulous wallop. It might come off.  That is what I would do, but then I have done many of these. Sometimes that works out.

As a kid, I was all about tightening the puller up and then pounding on it with a sledge hammer. Having met people who broke main bearing caps this way, I am more about tightening the puller up and then throwing some heat into the mix.

My own puller collection includes a factory Churchill version, which is a nice, all around tool. I have a hydraulic Sykes Pickavant version, which also includes a smaller threaded ram for doing the job in car. It is fun from both an engineering and cool factor point of view.

However, when it is time to work on real mini engines, then the puller that my father had built and my late friend John rebuilt at least twice needs to come out. It has a giant fine thread press bolt with a bearing in the end. The body is thick steel plate. It will draw a horribly fretted flywheel off of a race crank. The engines that caused it to need rebuilding are long gone, while it still holds a place of honour in my tool box.

It would kick the KAD puller off of the monkey bars at flywheel puller recess.

still, the most important part of this process is to get the puller square to the flywheel, followed by having a very good press piece to fit over the end of the crankshaft to press against.

Our host sells tools also:

Austin-Mini-Flywheel-And-Hub-Puller 

Additionally, these are the ones I have:

MiniSpares CE1 and MiniSport Heavy DutyFlywheel Puller_TOL07001


There are many options available...

If it is really tight put pressure on the puller (although I don't reccomend a four foot bar!) then hit the center bolt of the puller with a "dead blow" ie don't let the hammer bounce back  this should get it off...............

Update:   I got the clutch housing off and now ready for a puller.   The ring gear really looks bad,  about only 3/16"  of the tooth depth is left.  completely smashed over on the starter gear side.

I have not been able to locate any second hand parts yet (interms of a flywheel).  I also have not found anyone local to me yet with a decent puller.

The puller I have found thus far:
are the seven,  austin mini and KAD found on this site.  (the austin min puller looks to be cast made,  which would not be my choice.  The KAD is out of my price range... unless, it is the best option.

My concerns are, puller length,  when I started this project i wasn't thinking of how long the pullers are, and I will need one the is as short as possible as the engine is still in the car.

John

Strength of the puller,   I will be using my 1/2 drive breaker bar, with up to 4' pipe to give a little extra.. 

 

re my post above, I believe in the US an Isuzu Trooper 1.6 or 1.8L runs the same starter as the Holden Gemini here in Oz.

jbelow2, in U.S.A  I think the chevy chevette starter fits with hole elongation  and engages from other side if you want to try that first... or with the new flywheel.

Jeff