Crossflow 250 - bell fit a bigger clutch? Sourcing flywheel

hucklburry

Well-known member
So I have a 76DA Block and later aluminum headed 250, and I am trying to find a flywheel, which is sort of a PITA, if I am right that I should be looking for a 10" clutch to fit inside this manual bell housing.

Will a 10.4" clutch fit in the bell? That would make the flywheel easier to get - my real problem is the people selling the flywheel not answering the question if a 10" will fit the flywheel. I think they both have the same bolt pattern, but I am not sure.

I am looking for a reasonably priced flywheel, I've found plenty for $300-$400, but if I can answer this question about the clutch, or the people selling the flywheels confirm a 10" clutch will fit, I can get one for much less.

Thank you --Jim
 
You got lots of cheep options here.


Find something worth nothing, and have it rebalanced and refinished to spec. Then get a clutch for it. Your bellhousing limits the biggest size, Ford went up to a 9.5" clutch on 4.1 EFI 4 speeds in 1982, and onwards with 5 speeds in 1985. Any more than that, and your clutch fingers might not be able to shift the clutch plate if the inside of the bellhousing isn't clearanced to suit.

Get an Old 160 teeth flywheel, a 1962-64 part specific to FIVE BOLT 221/260/289 engine, and have a shop remove the 28Oz unblance, and have the surface refaced. The minimum distance is 0.930 deep for safety. Then find a clutch to suit.


Or a 157 teeth later one, and have its 280z unblance removed, so its neutral balance.


Just make sure its got imperial 7/16 20 tpi bolts of the right length so you don't kill the rop seal.


Down here, all our manaul flywheels are 160 teeth like the 82 to 64 modle year SBF's, but neutral balance, so any Aussie flywheel works, except for the ones with metric bolts or the 1965-1969 ones from a 170/188/200/221 which have the 2.75" pitech bolts, not the V8 3" pitch bolt spacings.


Its actually, IIRC, the Volvo 144/164 ring gear, same kind but not the same flywheel.


Don't get GREEDY with Clutch size.
 
I found one for $185 shipped, which isn't so bad, I missed a nice mcleod that sold while I was checking the clutch sizes it would accept.

So are you saying a 10" clutch wont fit? I am not trying to over-clutch it, I am just trying to find something reasonably priced, and it would be VERY easy to get the 157tooth zero balance flywheel for a 10.5" clutch here in the U.S. Its confirming the 10" that got me, but it appears they aren't as rare as I was finding.

Mine is a 6-bolt on the back of the crank.

Its for an old Bronco, so I am planning on a luk clutch, as they hold up well behind the 302 so I should be happy with it in front of the stock column shift 3 speed.
 
I found a PRW 1628982 SFI-Rated 25 lbs. 157 Teeth Billet Steel Flywheel for Ford 302 5.0L 1980-95 50

Normally they are around $229-$259, I found one marked as "used - new condition, packaging damaged" - like a store return or something for $135 shipped so I ordered it.

It is a 157 tooth and has the bolt on weights for zero or 50 or maybe 28 imbalance.

It will take any of the 10" and 10.5" clutches, and 11"

Hopefully it shows up as described in good condition. I found it on amazon, so I think they will make it right if there is a problem.
 
That is good to know for the 250 guys as the flywheels are kind of hard to find sometimes.
 
Yes and there is bad advice out there, in my searches some said to get a 300 flywheel, but those are 164 tooth and wont work with my bellhousing and I'm pretty sure most or all US250 bellhousings. I'll post it on my question in that forum too.
 
hucklburry":ajzyod8m said:
Yes and there is bad advice out there, in my searches some said to get a 300 flywheel, but those are 164 tooth and wont work with my bellhousing and I'm pretty sure most or all US250 bellhousings. I'll post it on my question in that forum too.
Some of those wrong info dollips are mine.


The teeth/tooth counts are often wrong...I didn't realise that Big Sixes are all 164 teeth for manual/stick shifts.


Same issue with the 3.3/200 US sixes with C3 automatics...they are 132 teeth for autos.

Problem is when you can't check a ring gear count. In those instances, I shoulda said I hadn't counted them myself.


In my defence, sometimes its talkes 9 year to get the right info and part numbers...it did when I tried to track down the 3.3/200 US Big Bell flexplate part number, and it was 164 teeth. Ha ha... Fords!


Good thing is I know what Australian small sixes have.


Good fortune with your build-up.
 
I don't pay attention to the names when I did my research, so you are in the clear!

My amazon flywheel showed up with the box I wanted, but the flywheel inside was not correct. I wonder if someone swapped it out on them, and they don't know.

Nice thing is free returns, no hassle, so I am only out the time.

I determine this with PRW flywheels:

1628982 is the 57oz imbalance
1628981 is the 28oz imbalance
1628980 is the internally/0 balance

All should have removable weights to be zero balance, and fit like all Ford clutches basically.

I found one for $189, so I am going to order it, and get this one returned. Slowed me down a few days, but I was more about not spending a fortune on a flywheel.
 
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