Damper Plate compatibility

Here's the sad story:

PO said he tried to replace the damper plate on my boat when he had the transmission out last year, but the one he got didn't fit, so he put the original (19 years old) back in.

I have been hearing how important it is to replace this part so I ordered a new one from SkiDIM. I called them & specifically asked if this was going to fit my boat & they said yes, this comes directly from PCM.

Well, got the part today & it's the same issue as PO had! The original part is samller & triangle shaped. The replacement is a full circle & same diameter as the teeth on the flywheel - won't clear the bellhousing.

I'll call both PCM tomorrow & Midwest CC tomorrow to see what gives.

So close yet so far away.

Guess I should have seen this coming!

Yep that's the one I need. Ski Dim apparently doesn't sell this one & must not even know it exists.

Every project's gotta have glitch. hopefully this is the only one.

Thanks for the support Pete, Boat Dr, Eric.

Just want a great running boat this summer.

Eric - Thanks will call tomorrow.

Pete - Thanks for this advice. I am going to call them anyway. They should have at least warned me that 'modifications are required'.

The PO had ground down the internal ribs in the bell housing (but still interferes) - this is how I know he had same exact problem.

The R&R is not as much work as I thought it would be - I am working on the shaft anyway.

Finding the failed lock washers on the trans mounting screws (Hydrogen Embrittled) made the enire project valuable, as those would have lead to catastrophic failure.

Eric - How much clearance (i.e. spacer thickness) should I give the springs-to-flywheel gap?

Thank for talking to me today.

SNobsessed

Im not sure if this applies in your situation,but the damper supplied to me from DIM (part no 1518) didn't fit the flywheel on two PCM351w motors that I have.

The rivets that hold the inner hub onto the outer hub are located further out on the replacment damper and sit on the face of the flywheel.

If your using the same damper and a windsor check this clearance before you bolt it up.

PCM's response when contacted about the problem......

We talked to PCM about the damper plates for you yesterday and they said to just mount it and tighten the bolts. And, the plate would flex to the proper position. Not to worry!

What they were suggesting I do was force the plate against the rivets (that would have locked the the plate up onto the flywheel) and pushed the inner hub 50 thou (the thickness of the rivet heads) back towards the g-box and flex the outer hub down with the bolts......

1. Im not sure how much clearance there is between the damper and the front of the g-box.

2. It would possibly bind the plate up on the g-box spline.

3.''Bending" the outer hub down 50 thou agains't the inner hub didn't seem like a good idea to me.

No thank you PCM I won't be doing that....

I had to machine out the inner section of the flywheel to clear the rivet's.

Eric may not be aware of the problem if he is sourcing his dampers from another supplier?

And Eric-- again, many thanks for the time you spent on the phone and emails with me last year advising me on my trans rebuid-much appreciated.

I'm going to use Grade 8 flat washers - It will have about .06" of clearance (rivets to flywheel). I was wondering if the plate oil-cans during use - that was the reason for my question. Hope it doesn't rattle during hole shot!

Thanks guys - I would not have known what to do without your advice. You'd think they would have included some instructions with this.

Eric - I was able to get the splined hub centered to within .0025 in (.005 TIR) measured at the OD of the hub. That's as close as we could get it with our tap & check method. Took about 10 tries. Close enough?

BTW - For the benefit of anyone else doing this repair - If I was to do this again I would drill an access hole in the bell housing to tighten up the damper screws after transmission is on. That would have been much quicker (including the drilling) & more accurate.

Eric - Funny, just finished re-aligning it using an access hole.

Living up to my site handle, I just couldn't stand not having it dead nuts.

See the photo. Not bad center for a sqauare & laser level, huh?

BTW, it has .020" runout if you don't try to align at all.

I put about 25 ft lb torque on the screws - about right?

snob, you to have ocd, its a club that Buffalo is in, TR is in, im in,and a few others on the site, i have to spin the bar of soap 20 frickin times before i wash my feet the only word in your vocabulary is perfect. it is the extra time you spend doing what you did that will make the boat last 20 years lol i forgot to mention j-bear with the hair thing too

Pete - There was no thinking ahead. I had completed the transmisson assembly yesterday. I drilled the access hole this AM (with trans still installed), after thinking about that input shaft oscillating .005" for the next 500 hours (I hope I get that, anyway)

I measured my old part for hole location & projected the center off of the rear of the transmission. Love my laser level.

All's well that ends well!

SNobsessed wrote: I'm going to use Grade 8 flat washers - It will have about .06" of clearance (rivets to flywheel). I was wondering if the plate oil-cans during use - that was the reason for my question. Hope it doesn't rattle during hole shot! Thanks guys - I would not have known what to do without your advice. You'd think they would have included some instructions with this.

Well Chris, It's been 12 years... How did shimming the damper with the washers work out? Because I need to do the same to mine. Just lifted up the engine and unbolted the stand it's been on, only to find the same clearance issue with the rivets.

Hoping your solution worked with no issues!