flywheel/ringgear

[Alan Blalock]

Good morning. I have a 1964 Avanti with a flight-o-matic. My starter drive is being destroyed by a bad ring gear. My questions are several, and I am looking for answer from the more knowledgable on this site. I have found a ring gear from a Studebaker vendor but need to know what I am buying/looking for. Is the ring gear permanantly attatched to the flywheel or attatched in some other manner? What is the difference between a flex plate and a flywheel? Thanks, and Happy Holidays....Alan

[mfg]

5 hours ago, Alan Blalock said:

Good morning. I have a 1964 Avanti with a flight-o-matic. My starter drive is being destroyed by a bad ring gear. My questions are several, and I am looking for answer from the more knowledgable on this site. I have found a ring gear from a Studebaker vendor but need to know what I am buying/looking for. Is the ring gear permanantly attatched to the flywheel or attatched in some other manner? What is the difference between a flex plate and a flywheel? Thanks, and Happy Holidays....Alan

Hi Alan, that's a tough, but solvable problem.....The ring gear on your Studebaker Avanti is welded directly to the front face of the torque converter.....It can be separated (cut off), and a new ring gear (still available from Stude vendors) can be welded back on....but it may make more sense to purchase a rebuilt torque converter (with new ring gear) from one of our vendors such as Dave Thibeault (tel# 978-897-3158)

To answer your question concerning a flywheel/flex plate....The term 'flywheel' is used only when referring to a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission........The term 'flex plate' comes into play when a vehicle is equipped with an automatic trans....Most times the flex plate mounts the ring gear (as on a Chevrolet V8) and serves as the go-between connecting an engines crankshaft to the auto trans torque converter.....However, on your Avanti and other 'late' Studebakers, a 'Chevy type' flex plate is not used....What IS used is a smaller diameter 'torque converter drive plate', which bolts to the rear of the engine's crankshaft and also to the face of the torque converter, connecting the two.....Once again, the ring gear on a Studebaker Avanti, in actuality, is the outermost area of the torque converter's forward 'face'.....Clear as mud??...........................and Merry Christmas!

[Alan Blalock]

Wow.  Thank you for the detailed information. I really appreciate explaining this situation in such great detail. I have been around cars and fixed/repaired/rebuilt them my entire life, but have never been around a vehicle that was so, yet so different interesting as this Avanti.(Never been comfortable working on automatic Trannys though). I am forever grateful to all the wonderful people such as yourself that are so helpful on this site. This site is so awesome compared to others, that it reminds me of car clubs of the past where everyone was/is a brother. I appreciate the help, and enjoy the New Year.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mfg]

1 hour ago, Alan Blalock said:

Wow.  Thank you for the detailed information. I really appreciate explaining this situation in such great detail. I have been around cars and fixed/repaired/rebuilt them my entire life, but have never been around a vehicle that was so, yet so different interesting as this Avanti.(Never been comfortable working on automatic Trannys though). I am forever grateful to all the wonderful people such as yourself that are so helpful on this site. This site is so awesome compared to others, that it reminds me of car clubs of the past where everyone was/is a brother. I appreciate the help, and enjoy the New Year.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Alan!.......I (we) appreciate that very much!......By the way, there's presently a NOS '56-'64 Stude V8 (Avanti) auto trans ring gear (p/n 1539744) for sale on e-bay for $89.

Item # 172617779020

Edited December 25, 2019 by mfg
Added item #