I am attempting to install my lightweight steel flywheel in a 12a, but am having trouble bolting up the clutch components with the hardware that is supplied. Here is a pic of what I am working with and the trouble I am having.

 

rotating assembly is 83-85 if that helps

 

I believe the spacer is only for aluminum flywheel and you need to use the stock bolts. I will look into it tomorrow. I have a spare aluminum and lightened stee km flywheels.

 

Aluminum spacers and "long bolts" are only required if you have a 225mm setup going into a light steel flywheel. If 215mm, just use stock pressure plate bolts. RB uses the same thread pitch as stock (8mm x 1.00) making it easy for us. But the length can be confusing if you don't already know what the differences are.

The long bolt kit can be found at Mazdatrix. This is the one you want. Flywheels


Here's an idea. Post some (clearer) pics of your flywheel, clutch disk and pressure plate. Also post pics of your bolt set (everything layed out like in the Mazdatrix picture). I'm pretty familiar with the various setups for 1st gens so maybe I can shed some more light for you.

Oh another thing. Measure your disk diameter. It's either 215mm or 225mm. It just helps to narrow things down.

 

I recently installed a RB Lightened Steel Flywheel to my GSLSE after purchasing that bolt kit. The small bolts with the pictured spacers are for the pressure plate. The large bolts are for attaching the flywheel to the counterweight.

The two black bolts are for mounting the pressure plate at the two countersunk bolt holes.

 

Hey thanks for some of the responses. I believe the clutch set up is 225mm. Here are some pics of everything

 

I guess I dont understand the problem. Those parts look like they should work ok. Is there anything specific about why it's not going together that you were wondering about?

On second thought, maybe you were trying to thread one of the regular bolts into a countersunk hole. These holes are 180 degrees apart and act like pressure plate centering dowels when you use the two black "shoulder" bolts. The pressure plate has two slightly snug holes for these two "shoulder" bolts. They fit with almost no clearance. There is a small hole next to one which visually quickly identifies it for you, making it easy to find them. I bet you just were trying to thread a short bolt into a countersunk hole. Rookie mistake.

 

Yeah I think that is exactly what I was doing... its seems to go together ok. Do the black bolts get the spacers too?

 

Yes.

 

+1
Thats how it goes

 

Thanks again guys. Its appreciated

 

There is something wrong with this picture. See if you can spot it.

 

my only guess could be that the numbering sequence on the tension bolts peeking out from behind the flywheel is wrong.

 

I don't write numbers on my tensions bolts, but that's not it.

Ok I'll tell you. See the small hole in the pressure plate?

This hole tells you to install a black "shoulder" bolt here in the small tolerance hole. So take off the pressure plate bolts, rotate pressure plate one sixth to the right, reinstall bolts. This time with all six aluminum spacers.

 

I was going to say, there are no dowels in the flywheel so there is nothing to center the pressure plate but the sloppy fit of the bolts.

 

Good point peejay...should I remove the dowels from a stock flywheel or buy new dowels and fit them. I did wonder if why there were none (if it will make me look less "new" to the world of aftermarket parts lol). The black bolts ONLY fit through those two holes on the cover and they are directly opposed from each other so I was thinking they were OK?

 

On the racing beat flywheel there are no dowl pins. The 2 black bolts are the alignment bolts and should 180 from each other and have a 14mm head and the other bolts are 13mm

 

The black bolts are designed to fit the two small holes in the pressure plate with very little clearance, next to the tiny hole indicated by the green arrow. That is how they are designed. These take the place of dowel pins.

I can not explain it any better than that. I lack the verbal finess I suppose. Reminds me of trying to convince Ray Green that he can remove and modify his weird double wall R5 exhaust sleeves. I typed 'til my fingers were tired and he still didn't get it. Sometimes you just have to back off and let the person do his own thing. Good luck.

 

Plus some of the bolts should come from the engine side

 

It will not matter if some come from eninge side or not racingbeat say it will work either way but the black bolts must be installed from transmission side

 

No they don't. Where'd you get that from?

While it's true the aluminum flywheels have bolts that go through the flywheel and are"nutted" on the other side, the bolts come in from the tranny side and the nuts are on the engine side. At least that's the far more convenient way to do it. I've never done it the other way. I don't know anyone who would.

But this guy has a light steel flywheel. The bolts only go in from the tranny side and thread into the steel flywheel with the same exact thread pitch as a stock iron flywheel. Only the bolt length is changed. However if you've got a 215mm setup, you must use stock bolts. Clear as mud yet?

 

Hey Jeff its cool I understand you just fine. I just have it all mocked together for now to see how it fits together. Everything has to be pulled apart again to fit a new pilot bearing and seal. I will try those black bolts in the other holes like you said, but they truly only seem to fit in the two that they are in. These components are 225mm for sure so no stock bolts for me. My main concern when I started all of this was that the spacers didn't seem thick enough, but they are correct indeed now that I have it somewhat together...I even have the spacers and lock washers on the black alignment bolts and it seems fine.

 

Ok, cool. I was just getting frustrated is all.

One thing you could do if the black bolts don't go through the tight holes is to lightly dress them with a file until the bolts barely make their way through. Again these bolts are designed to fit so tightly in these holes that they align the pressure plate like dowel pins. I can almost guarantee if you try it any other way the pressure plate will have a wobble and might have a vibration at idle.

fyi: Did you know the super light steel 8 pound Greddy flywheel does not use any "shoulder" or alignment bolts? It is far too thin at its outer edge to allow for such a bolt. As such you're condemned to get the pressure plate aligned by eye. I have a pic somewhere...
215mm only

3 bolts in view and not a single shoulder version.

I've felt a slight vibration from at least one of these Greddy setups. Could have been from not aligning it right. Easy to get it wrong when you don't have any way to use the bolts that were designed for the task. But you do have those black bolts, and they need to go through the correct (tight) holes.

 

I happened to actually see a steel flywheel the other week (came with a $200 12A that I didn't have the money or the car-space to buy... ARGH!) and I don't remember it having the counterbores for the deeply shanked bolts.

But, if you say they are there, then I'll take your word for it. I didn't look terribly closely, other than noticing that it wasn't an OE flywheel.

Using tightly-clearanced shanked bolts instead of dowel pins for the flywheel seems kinda hokey to me, but I've seen worse work okay.

 

Done and installed. Thanks again for everyone's help