Fidanza flywheel-Who's to blame?

[rally_scort]

I've got a fidanza aluminum flywheel sitting around because the starter ring decided to seperate from the aluminum friction surface.Its only about a year old and maybe 10k on it.I called up fidanza's tech line but they have yet to call me back to return my message.I emailed them last night asking what my options are, if its a defect, and why this would happen.Ive had several of these flywheels ranging in age with this one being the newest.This is the email I sent them:

To: <sales@fidanza.com>
Subject: flywheel questions/warranty info

I purchased a flywheel from you a while back, and it seems to have a manufactured defect.The steel starter ring has completely seperated from the aluminum friction plate.This was installed on a 94 Ford Probe 2.5L V-6.The flywheel functions perfect otherwise, but I am unable to start the car normally(has to be push started).What are my options, id like to stay with a fidanza, but I am unaware of the warranty against defects such as this? Id ultimatly like to send this one in, and receive another flywheel if possible.What can I do? Thanks.



This is the email I received today:

Clint,
The ring gear seperating from the flywheel is not a defect. It occurs when the flywheel is getting heated and cooled to quickly.. usually from racing or excessive launching. What happens is the aluminum heats quicker than the steal ring gears and the ring pushes the aluminum into a smaller spigot than originally intended once cooled... causing the ring to slip.
The good news is it is correctable. You can have the flywheel shipped into us for inspection and ring gear replacement. We charge $50.00 plus shipping for this service. If this is something you would like to pursue please send me another e-mail with your full name, address, and phone number. I can then issue you and RGA number so you can send in the flywheel and begin the process.. which is very quick with short turn around periods.
Thanks,
Aaron


Now maybe im wrong, but isnt this something they should take care of? Are'nt flywheels supposed to be durable against racing? Why else would i spend $400 on a lightweight flywheel to daily drive the car? The way i see it, its a defect and they are to blame, so i dont feel right paying them to fix their product which i used how it was intended.I know theres no way to prove it, but this flywheel didnt really recieve much abuse, nor excessive slipping of the clutch.It was in my daily driver, then swapped to another daily driver with occasional abuse.What are your thoughts on this? Im going to call them tomorrow and talk with somebody personally, id just like some input whether you think its worth the call to bitch or just pay the money and be done with it.

[Reverend Cooper]

racing parts dont need to have a gurantee other than new outta the box,no one like to pay for repairs but hey welcome to the race parts world.

[rally_scort]

racing parts dont need to have a gurantee other than new outta the box,no one like to pay for repairs but hey welcome to the race parts world.

thats understandable, but I expected a bigger company to do what it takes to make a customer happy.I could see if there were teeth missing off the ring from abusing it with the starter, but for it to become useless and then to blame the customer without even seeing the product doesnt sit right with me.

[juicedimpss]

is it SFI approved?
if so,it should withstand "racing abuse" and that sounds like a MAJOR safety concern to me.

[Sprayaway Fox]

As coop said welcome to the "race" world. That is why people get the a flywheel with milled gears. As in machined with the rest. With a pressed on ringgear they like to separate The flywheel in question problably doesnt have a SFI. Also when you have a alum flywheel and a steel ring it will heat and cool at different rates and start to seperate. Its just a bad design with a lot of RPMs.

Those flywheels are the reason blow proof bells are popular.

[DRK]

If I bought aluminum rods and started running big street miles on them and they stretched, would that be Gliddens fault?

[nismodave]

Fidanza is a HQ product IMO. He is proboblly right.

[rally_scort]

If I bought aluminum rods and started running big street miles on them and they stretched, would that be Gliddens fault?

Thats hard to answer, it would come down to an inspection to see if they were treated nice.Your post makes it sound like i completely raped the flywheel and now im looking for a handout.Heres a questions for you, if the flywheel was abused wouldnt it have heat marks and glazing on it from said racing and launching? How about if you pull the flywheel and the friction surface looks clean and damn near new? Would you just cough up the money before wanting to see your options? I know this can both ways, i just want opinions and maybe a further explanation on how a racing product doesnt have to withstand racing :rolf

[rally_scort]

is it SFI approved?
if so,it should withstand "racing abuse" and that sounds like a MAJOR safety concern to me.

http://www.fidanza.com/aluminum-flywheels.aspx


and yes, it looks to be SFI approved according to the small icon in the corner of the flywheel picture :(

[juicedimpss]

i would call and ask to speak with someone higher up on the food chain,and bring up the fact of it being an SFI piece that is only a year old.if it wears the sfi certs,it should stay together under normal conditions AT LEAST as long as the cert lasts(i dont have my book in front of me,id guess 2-3 years on a flywheel.)
i would talk about how unsafe their product is and how someone could have been seriously injured from this coming apart.

[WhatsADSM]

Funny you mention this... My buddy with his DSM just had the *exact* same problem (starter ring gear seperation) on his 1G DSM. Happened about 6 months or so ago.

Honestly as much as I hate to tell you, you can probably bitch all you want to Fidanza but they won't fix it for free... at least I believe that's what happened with my buddy. That's just the name of the game. Pay the $50 and be done with it.

[juicedimpss]

Funny you mention this... My buddy with his DSM just had the *exact* same problem (starter ring gear seperation) on his 1G DSM. Happened about 6 months or so ago.

Honestly as much as I hate to tell you, you can probably bitch all you want to Fidanza but they won't fix it for free... at least I believe that's what happened with my buddy. That's just the name of the game. Pay the $50 and be done with it.

i would sooner spend that 50 towards someone elses product if at all possible

[That_Guy]

Funny you mention this... My buddy with his DSM just had the *exact* same problem (starter ring gear seperation) on his 1G DSM. Happened about 6 months or so ago.

Honestly as much as I hate to tell you, you can probably bitch all you want to Fidanza but they won't fix it for free... at least I believe that's what happened with my buddy. That's just the name of the game. Pay the $50 and be done with it.

im going to agree with you on this one... just pay the cash and be done

[rally_scort]

im going to agree with you on this one... just pay the cash and be done

Not that im saying i cant be wrong about the whole situtation, but unlike some I just want a better explanation on how this happened if it was treated how it was intended.I dont feel right just letting them take more of my money unless they can give me some sort of satisfaction it wont happen again.Maybe if i word that different youll understand.If you bought a part thats listed on a website with a detailed description on how strong and durable they are in racing applications, then you pick one up and it takes a dump on you with very little use and hardly any "racing" on it, then your asked to pay them to fix their product, but whos to say it wont happen again? Maybe they should change their advertising, or their design if something like this can happen on a very mild street driven car.I dont mind forking the money over if they can prove it was something i did, and that it wont happen again.Maybe thats just me, but thats where i stand on the issue so far :(

[juicedimpss]

from their own description....

The flywheel ring gears are heated then pressed on and secured with grade 8 button screws.


sounds like it shouldnt slip off to me.

[jbiscuit]

Not me...if it came apart, its time for a new manufacturer's flywheel. Once is enough. You want to risk it doing it again? I would demand my money back for a defective product first and if they choose to not do that I would make sure its well known they are selling unsafe flywheels that carry an SFI approval....contact SFI direct at that point to notify them that you had one of their approved flywheels come apart while not even racing. SCARY if you were racing thats for sure!

http://www.sfifoundation.com/

[juicedimpss]

Spec Product Recert.Period
1.1 Replacement Flywheels and Clutch Assemblies 2 Years

[Waver]

Somthing like happened to the fidanza that I had on a vehicle that I owned.....took out the clkutch and the tranny.....I was licky that I was able to nurse it to a place that I could work on it at the time.....no refund, no nothing......

[rally_scort]

from their own description....



sounds like it shouldnt slip off to me.

that kinda confused me, ive had a couple of these and i dont recall them having button screws on them.Im going to pull this one out in the next couple days and see what exactly happened.Maybe ill get lucky and i can just get some new screws and use it as it is since it works perfectly once the car is running :rolf

[WhatsADSM]

I see your points. Pay $50 and put it up on eBay.

[rally_scort]

I see your points. Pay $50 and put it up on eBay.

i would if i didnt need the flywheel to get the car back on the road

[HY35F2T]

join every car forum
then post and then laugh
then drink beer
then call them drunk lol.

[jakedrew]

i seen it on alot spec flywheels for the jbody's that the flywheel just sheers off and all you are left is a 6 inch circle bolted to the motor.

good luck.

[Adam Brooks]

Also when you have a alum flywheel and a steel ring it will heat and cool at different rates and start to seperate. Its just a bad design with a lot of RPMs.

that what i was thinking as well. i dont see how you could avoid temp differences since they will conduct heat at different rates naturally.

im not an engineer so idk if that the proper terminology but you prob get what im trying to say

[Sprayaway Fox]

I get ya Brooks,

I have heard of this problem with Fid flys on 5.0 foxes and my buds 81 406 Track one headed camaro. It ripped a chunk off at 6700 RPM, he was lucky for the scattershield. I wouldnt run any fly that had extra "pieces" holding stuff on. Just gimme one solid hunk of metal to take the abuse. GL with Fidanza warranting it though they will prolly tell you to send it in if they do.

Something about high RPMs and separation doesnt sound good with me at all. It could slice through the car, leg,arm like a lazer.

[pnad]

I had this happen to my Fidanza as well.

Mine DID have the button screws. The ring gear still got loose and actually broke the head off one of the buttons. I bought this flywheel used and had approx 40k miles on it (4 years old)

Sent it in to Fidanza they drilled and tapped for new buttons, put on a new ring and even replaced the friction surface with all new hardware for the $50 (plus shipping both ways)

If you search around it is a pretty common problem with Alum flywheels.

[BeesTwinEG]

Racing is Racing.
If it breaks.. oh well, build it again. that is part of racing... parts will break.