[This message has been edited by Larryinkc (edited 03-21-2023).]

[This message has been edited by Frenchrafe (edited 03-21-2023).]

quote Originally posted by La fiera: If you choose to use an aluminum flywheel DO NOT INSTALL the bolts with out hard steel washers. The reason being is that the bolts will eat the aluminum and the flywheel will get loose and damaged because the clamping surface on the bolts is very narrow and it will eat on the soft aluminum. The steel washers add a wider foot print to hold that clamping force. Apply red locktite and torque to the recommended specs.

it should be noted that the 3800 uses 3/8" (or was it 5/16"?) flywheel bolts, and not 10mm like some other FWD engines. some have drilled and tapped them for larger bolts.

an alternative to washers, at least for a 60V6 with 10mm flywheel bolts, is to run Ford Coyote bolts, they have way bigger heads than the stock bolts, and will provide more clamp area, and limit the probability of creep becoming a problem. They are a tad bit long, and will need to be ground slightly shorter to fit, or the holes bottom tapped slightly deeper.

it is also imperative that if you run a washer, you make sure the washer's ID doesn't have a sharp turn that contacts the bolt shank, if it does, it can cause a stress riser which can break the bolts over time.


some pictures of 10mm flywheel bolt options I compiled:

The Ford 5.0 flywheel bolts ARP PN 156-2801







they're sold as a pack of 8, so you end up with two spares, hopefully you won't need them. Holding the package, it was very apparent that the heads of the bolts are WAY bigger than both the LX9 bolts, and the WOT-tech bolts, and have significantly more area under the heads than any other bolts I had on hand.

under head diameter:
WOT Tech- 0.613"
LX9- 0.6245"
Ford- 0.7345"


Additionally, the ford bolts offer much more thread engagement,

exposed threads though the flywheel:

WOT Tech- 0.4025"
LX9- 0.275"(not threaded to the end)
Ford- 0.592"

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