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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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I found a flywheel for my Lincoln 368. The flywheel is from a Ford large truck and is pretty beefy. It weighs 44.8 pounds. This thing just seems like lifting an anvil when I picked it up. The 368 will be going in a 1946 Mercury coupe that weighs about 3200 lbs, with a Mustang 5 speed behind it. First gear ratio is 3.35 and rear ratio is 3.70 with 28" tires. The engine is stock. As I stated before the flywheel is really thick. Is the flywheel too heavy, or should I have some metal removed to lighten it somewhat? This will be a street driven car and I would like good manners, but would also like decent acceleration. I used the FE flywheel weight for reference and found weights were 28-36 lbs. Any thoughts? Thanks.
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By charliemccraney - 6 Years Ago
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I'd lighten it if it's feasible. The heavy weight is probably to help get a heavy load moving in a truck which is absolutely not required for your application.
Around 30lbs would probably be good. I think the one in my truck is 32lbs (Billet aftermarket). My car's ('88 Firebird) is 24lbs (cast genuine GM).
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By miker - 6 Years Ago
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My bird with power everything and a/c is probably pretty close to your weight. I’m running a 15lb aluminum flywheel with a 2.95 IIRC first and 3.73 and a 26” tire. I’m sure you can’t get that light, but if you can make Charlie’s recommendation of 30lbs it should be fine.
With the 15lb wheel you’ve got to be careful starting (I don’t race the car), but they gain revs real nice.
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By 1960fordf350 - 6 Years Ago
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Butch
Did you ever check out the LYB forum over at the HAMB website? The guys who modify those engines can definetly help. Do you have an FE flywheel so you can compare the bolt patterns? I don't know if the ring gears are the same tooth numbers. Flywheels can be turned, I wonder if a machine shop could mill off a good amount to lighten it up.
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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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1960fordf350 (11/24/2018)
Butch Did you ever check out the LYB forum over at the HAMB website? The guys who modify those engines can definetly help. Do you have an FE flywh ofeel so you can compare the bolt patterns? I don't know if the ring gears are the same tooth numbers. Flywheels can be turned, I wonder if a machine shop could mill off a good amount to lighten it up.
I checked the HAMB. Things are kinda slow with the Lincoln bunch over there.
The centering hole in the FE flywheel is the same, bolt holes are different but there is enough room to redrill them to fit. There is what looks like about 1/16" difference in the diameter of the two. The FE would work with a modified FE bellhousing, or probably with a starter having a larger gear with the right tooth count. There is plenty of metal, so I think my best route is to have it milled to a more respectable weight.
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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks for everybody"s input and help. Learning a lot about this beast. Rounding up parts is a challenge, but it's fun and an interesting engine.
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By Ted - 6 Years Ago
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The rule of thumb for standard trans flywheel weight for a street driver is 1% of the car weight. If the car weight is 3200 lbs., then the flywheel would need to weigh approximately 32 lbs.
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By KULTULZ - 6 Years Ago
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... hmm ...
32lbs ...
Rev that thing up to 10,000 RPM, side-step the clutch and hold on for dear life ... 
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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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Ted (11/25/2018)
The rule of thumb for standard trans flywheel weight for a street driver is 1% of the car weight. If the car weight is 3200 lbs., then the flywheel would need to weigh approximately 32 lbs.
Thanks Ted. I hope I can get enough metal off this thing to get it close to that weight.
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By KULTULZ - 6 Years Ago
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"...one thing about the FE bell-housing/stick parts in general, the FE flywheel has the same crank hub register diameter but the flange bolt pattern is different, a new billet FE flywheel could probably be easily enough custom ordered with the LYB flange. The FE and LYB do not share the same tooth count or pitch on the starter ring gear, your two options here are retain the FE ring gear and use an early FE starter drive or starter; or, switch to the LYB ring gear."
SOURCE - http://www.applecityfd.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=38
I also have tech describing adapting an FE bell to the engine, somewhere.
EDIT -
Here is a lengthy discussion reading the swap- https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/57-368-c-i-lincoln-motor-which-bell-housing-will-fit.328864/
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By 1960fordf350 - 6 Years Ago
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I haven't been over to the LYB section on the HAMB for a couple years. At one point on their threads over there they discussed using a FE flywheel. Did you try researching any of their old posts? I had a 368 and a 332 in my garage. I sold them to a guy in Wis. who was building a hot engine for a 55 Lincoln. The only thing I have left is the bellhousing and the truck clutch. The 332 uses a drop forged crank, the rest are cast. This guy was going to have the crank offset ground and build a stroker. He took it to somebody in Cincinnati Oh to have the machine work done. Last I heard from him was that the engine was in the car, and he was hoe building headers for it.
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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks KULTULZ. I looked at all that. There is one hole offset on the FE flywheel that could probably be plugged and redrilled. The center hole is the same diameter. According to the parts catalog the FE ring gear is 14.018 ID and the LYB ring gear is 14.210, seemed a little too much difference to try and match up. I have a LYB bell and a LYB flywheel so I was hoping to make them work some how. Thanks for the link. Good info there.
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By charliemccraney - 6 Years Ago
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If it comes down to it, you can also see about having a flywheel made. Not sure exactly where to go but if you contact US based manufacturers like Ram, it's probably not too hard to figure out who can do it.
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By PF Arcand - 6 Years Ago
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Kultulz, touched on the F.E. starter issue. Early ones engage from the back like a Ford Y-Block, later ones are front engagement. Not sure of the years?
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By KULTULZ - 6 Years Ago
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Butch Lawson Posted -
"Thanks KULTULZ. I looked at all that. There is one hole offset on the FE flywheel that could probably be plugged and redrilled. The center hole is the same diameter. According to the parts catalog the FE ring gear is 14.018 ID and the LYB ring gear is 14.210, seemed a little too much difference to try and match up. I have a LYB bell and a LYB flywheel so I was hoping to make them work some how. Thanks for the link. Good info there."
It is no problem. In lieu of a CRAGAR bell, I want to see how you come out.
Please follow-up on this thread if possible how it turns out. Pictures would be good.
Take note on the post about the starter drive.
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By Butch Lawson - 6 Years Ago
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PF Arcand (11/26/2018)
Kultulz, touched on the F.E. starter issue. Early ones engage from the back like a Ford Y-Block, later ones are front engagement. Not sure of the years?
The FE used a 153 tooth flywheel until 1965, I think. In '65 they changed to a 184 tooth flywheel with a starter engaging from the front. I think the starter changed when the tooth count changed.
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