<VV> Solid flywheel? Sweeet

[NicolCS@aol.com]

Barry, your post brought two thoughts to mind...  The solid flywheel probably 
does not require the reinforcing washer that the standard flywheel requires. 
I hope that it is thicker in that area though; on the standard thin-hub 
flywheel, if the bolts are installed without the reinforcing washer, they will 
contact and damage the crankshaft's cam gear.  I wonder if the bolts in your engine 
were difficult to remove because they contacted the cam gear and were damaged 
on the last thread?  The other thing that comes to mind is the argument 
against solid flywheels.  As the argument goes, GM felt that crankshaft cracking 
was likely with a solid flywheel so they designed the one we all *know and 
love*.  This solid flywheel thread comes up from time to time and while there seems 
to be some evidence that the argument is true, several members have run with 
solid flywheels with no apparent difficulty.  For my money, I wouldn't risk 
the crankshaft and I would lean towards a nice, balanced and bolted Dale rebuilt.
Craig Nicol

<snip>
I took the flywheel off to get behind it for cleaning, and low and behold,
it's solid steel.  So THAT's why it was ringing when I hit it with a wrench.
Sweeeet.  Might have to keep that baby for the Corsa, but I digress.  The
flywheel bolts where awfully tough to turn, even after I broke them loose.
PO had locktited (that a word?) them.  I said,"why in the world?"... When
all of a sudden I realized ... No retaining ring under the bolts. 
<unsnip>