Fidanza flywheel question

[Stormhammer]

I've heard both sides of the arguement but

To replace the pilot bearing, you have to heat the aluminum flywheel up to remove it properly. Same with installing a new one.

Also, the flywheel needs to be heated up to install it on the rear of the crankshaft?

[Tech5]

what kind of car you talking about

[Stormhammer]

1987 Mitsubishi Starion ESiR ( but its a 240mm flywheel, which is 88/89 spec )

[SRCRX]

Why does it need to be heated??

Different car, but my civic was no problem, no heat needed.

[Stormhammer]

"When you heat up the wheel before you put it on the crankshaft that will enlarge the pilot bearing opening and the bearing will push in or fall in, they give you green loctite ADHESIVE (not the same as thread lock or sealant) to keep that in. If you hammer it in you chew the aluminum and force it in, heat it and it falls in same as installing it on the crankshaft cause a wobble pilot bearing that comes loose in an aluminum wheel will ruin that pilot bore and you'll have to use a bushing you don't want it to heat up when you are shifting the car and the pilot come loose that is why you must use that green loctite adhesive. If you do not heat the wheel then when you put the pilot in the wheel all you do is smear off all the adhesive and the wheel would expand when its hot while driving and pull away from the side and the bond could be broken. You MUST heat this wheel up, stick it in an oven on 350 for 20 minutes (you'll need welding gloves to handle it) and you'll see how loose it gets on the crankshaft and you'll know what is happening when you drive the car and the friction heats it up. You have the plate from an automatic to go under the bolt heads right?"

[4eyedbox]

I have installed pilot bearings into aluminum flywheels using both heat and cold before. I have had several successful install with only heating the flywheel on a hot plate for ten minutes or so, and then pushing the pilot bearing in. I have also frozen the pilot bearing, to shrink it, and installed it into the flywheel with no problems on a occasions. And in some rare occasions, I had to heat the flywheel and also freeze the pilot bearing in order to get it to seat easily.

You maw want to not only coat the exterior of the PB, but also the walls on the flywheel where it seats with Loctite.

I can't recall a time where I have ever heated a flywheel to put it onto the crankshaft, but looking at it in retrospect I can think of some times when it probably would have made the job easier.

[Stormhammer]

So then it is correct on what I was told?