Can a ring gear be repaired?

[BGCarrera32]

Curious if a ring gear can be repaired...

I have about 3-4 teeth on mine that got smushed/rounded off by the PO probably when the starter solenoid hiccuped.

Every once in a while the starter gear happens to hit those teeth, makes a nice grinding sound, usually at a gas station with a bunch of people around.

I'm not sure if these are pressure cast, etc. I think all it might take would be some welding and creative filing...

Thoughts...?

[Superman]

Of course they can. Even windshield wipers could conceivably be 'resurfaced.' But it's just easier and cheaper to replace them. I suspect the same is true for ring gears.

[BGCarrera32]

Wow, thanks for the insight.

[Superman]

I hope I did not sound pedantic. Didn't mean to. Never heard of ring gear repairing. I have asked about wiper blade resurfacing though, and people just stare at me like I'm an idiot. Go figure.

[Rick Lee]

I've seen a broken ring gear before and with the amount of labor it takes to get to it, $85 is just nothing to cut corners over. Get a new ring gear and DO NOT forget to put it on your pressure plate when you put the tranny back on. You'd be surprised - it happens.

[vash]

pedantic? new word for me. where is my dictionary?

ah, "a person who puts unnecessay stress on a othewise trivial issue"

supe! i learn more than car stuff from you!

[GeorgeK]

Don't change it!!
reweld it at all costs! It will make for interesting reading here when it all goes the way of the Dodo...

[Superman]

Pedantic has another connotation as well. It also can mean "talking down" to someone as though the teacher feels he is far more informed than the ignorant student. I sure did not mean that.

[donnieknoxville]

Was in the same position this fall. Same embarrasing noise - usually when lots of people we areound to hear it.

Now is the time to think big picture.

New Ring gear $85 - necessitates dropping the engine and tranny which for a mechanic is 4 hours out and four hous back in. So add a minimum of 8 hours on the labor side.

Since you've invested the labor. Its wise to check the tranny.

I was due for a new clutch anyway 105K miles - so I was prepared.

My mechanic began the conversation this way---

"So how's your day?" Which is never a good start to the conversation because no matter how well you day has gone up to that point, its now going to get a lot worse.

Because I had driven the car for 2-3 months with a bad ring gear, I had also pretty much destroyed the starter motor teeth which also had to be replaced - invest another $185.

Since I have a 1987 that had not been upgraded, I was not only looking at a new clutch and all its associated parts, but also the clutch upgrade kit to replace the rubber part. And about 10 other misc. seals, misc. parts.

Total bill at the end of the day $2,300.

Was it worth i? - definately yes!!! New upgraded clutch and clutch kit, no more embarrasing sounds on startup and the peace of mind of knowing that the car is being properly maintained.

When they had the engine out, they also noticed the fuel lines were developing some cracks in the rubber and might fail at some point in the near future. I'm waiting a bit longer on that $700 bill but something you might check while you are in there.

Don

[ruf-porsche]

There is a welding shop in Chicago that repairs teeth on flywheel with the flywheel still in the car.

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by Superman
Pedantic has another connotation as well. It also can mean "talking down" to someone as though the teacher feels he is far more informed than the ignorant student. I sure did not mean that.

At least you weren't accused of being didactic.
-Chris

[Larry Harris]

Lets not gloss over the windshield wiper blade refacing thing. For years I have been trying to kind my "niche" in life! This may be it. Maybe I could incorporate my elastic seat belt concern with my PVC roll bars manufacturing business. Urethra, I have found it!

Larry

[BGCarrera32]

No hard feelings. I do my own labor and the engine and trans are already out of the car. The ring gear is really in great shape, except for those 3-4 teeth on it being a little munched. Looks like rounded off dog teeth from a sychro. Seems like a waste to spend ANOTHER $95 replacing this, and what the hay, why not a starter too...

I still have to go through the 915 yet this winter, 2nd is getting bad. Already looking at $800-900 in possible parts for that, doing the work myself.

[Superman]

It won't work. See, you'd have to have "loaner" wiper blades for customers to use while their blades are being machined. They'd probably forget to return when they notice the "loaner" blades work at least as well as the resurfaced blades would be expected to work. So then you'd be stuck with a pile of resurfaced blades that you could not ethically sell as "new."

Now, if you could put a fancy "V" shaped friction surface on the blades that worked better than factory, well then cash flow would be your problem. Having built the 'better mouse trap,' the world would beat a path to your door and you'd never get enough sleep, always at the bank requesting loan extensions to fill the millions of orders suddenly received.

Franchise. That's it.

[RickM]

They make both a blade reconditioner (V shaped cutter) and a liquid reviver which most likely dont work.

Sorry to continue the hijack...

[john walker's workshop]

my 1949 cadillac convertible would kill ring gear teeth every few years, and i just got out the buzz box, welded a lump back on, and then reshaped it into a tooth or teeth. lots of work to R+R a turbo-hydro, and they're heavy as hell, so it seemed like the thing to do at the time. this was in the '70s, when i was poor. i still have the old beast in the back of the shop, but i have a new flywheel now, ready for the restoration.

[Superman]

I used to buy my tires exclusively from the salvage yard, two or three at a time still mounted on steel wheels. Upon the occasion of a flat tire, you remove the offending wheel, roll it into the ditch and install the next best unit. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Exhaust hangers made from baling wire. Right now I'm driving a (snow) car whose front bumper is held on with....yes, you guessed it...duct tape. Virtually anything non-petroleum and non-carbonated can be used as brake fluid in a pinch. Holes drilled in the floorboard can help drainage.

[Drago]

Re: resurfacing the wiper blades...

When they get gunked up just wipe 'em down with a little alcohol. Usually gets me by for another couiple of months.

Or use Rain-X. If you live here it's a must have.

[dbanazek]

Perhaps you would like a nice used ring gear for $30. I have several. Call or email me. I can probably hook you up with a nice used starter at half price too.