Reluctor Wheel Tooth Alignment Tool

Flyfish

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Oct 29, 2004
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I made an alignment tool for the reluctor wheel teeth. If they get bent, they can bend or break the crank sensor or just cause havoc with the ecu.

Considering making more if there’s enough interest that it’s something people might want to buy.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks much!

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Flyfish

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Oct 29, 2004
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St. Louis
As many times as I’ve seen bent reluctor teeth problems, I’m surprised there’s not much interest. But I guess the number of applicable trucks are getting smaller every day.
 

Flyfish

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Oct 29, 2004
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There is a Land Rover special tool that looks just like that.
Yep, I’ve used it several times. How many people throw parts at a truck to solve a poor running condition and don’t realize it’s a couple bent teeth?! The crank sensor signal is kinda important.

It‘s an awesome tool to have but they’re $276! That’s why I decided to make my own.
 

discostew

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Sep 14, 2010
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As many times as I’ve seen bent reluctor teeth problems, I’m surprised there’s not much interest. But I guess the number of applicable trucks are getting smaller every day.
For them to be bent somebody had to be in there hacking. When I pull thee trans to do a rear main / cross seals job I pull the pan off and use a semi deep socket on the torque converter bolts. I think those teeth get bent when someone tries to get the torque converter bolts while there's too much stuff in the way.
 

p m

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As many times as I’ve seen bent reluctor teeth problems, I’m surprised there’s not much interest.
My WAG: the reluctor teeth get bent when the rivets holding the ring to the flywheel get loose.
Another WAG: nearly every truck over 200kmi on the engine will have loose or missing rivets.
Basically, nothing gets done when the reluctor ring falls off the flywheel and everything goes tits up.
 
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discostew

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The teeth get bent early in the trucks life by people hacking. The problem your talking about is horrific when it lets go. Ever try to rivet that back on the flex plate? When it’s just loose, once it falls off there’s no fixing it. Im sure flexplates are made out of unubtainium. Like so many other parts.
 

p m

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Ever try to rivet that back on the flex plate?
yes, with predictable results.
Judging by the sounds the reluctor ring was making, it was loose for about 30k miles until all rivets fell out.
Fortunately, I found a flywheel with the ring from a GEMS P38A close by.
 

Flyfish

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Oct 29, 2004
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it was loose for about 30k miles until all rivets fell out.
Lol. That had to have made a little racket!!

I generally see it when an engine gets shipped or after transmission work. I’d recommend everyone should take a look at their teeth if they never have. And I’d bet there would be a handful of people with bent teeth and maybe a slight running issue they couldn’t figure out.

It’s well worth the 20-30 minutes it would take.
 
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robertf

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Jan 22, 2006
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Is this really a problem or just caused by banging the teeth into something during engine R&R?

If the sky really is falling a D2 4.0 flexplate assembly and torque converter might work. I think I ready about someone swapping in a R380 to a D2 using the gems flywheel. If that really worked then a D2 flexplate should work on a D1 if the crankshaft position sensor sleeve is either removed or added to match a 5 speed setup. I can't remember which one has the spacer sleeve.
 

lunchbox

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Apr 20, 2004
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I don’t know if it is, or isn’t a common problem. I doubt many people check the reluctor ring when they are having problems that could be caused by bent teeth. I’ve had it happens twice now. The first time was in shipping when purchasing a used engine. If the engine isn’t in a crate, the teeth are exposed. The second time was when I had my transmission rebuilt. The reason Todd started the tread is that the tool is hard to find, and crazy expensive. A local former Rover tech has one from his days in the shop. Todd copied it and had it printed. He’s not looking to make a living off of printing them. It’s a nice little tool to have in the kit if you work on these trucks a lot.
 
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Flyfish

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Is this really a problem or just caused by banging the teeth into something during engine R&R?
I’ve never witnessed a ring that came off. But dealt with bent/broke teeth a half dozen times or more. Those were all due to a 2x4 during shipping and more so people not paying attention or wrench slipped etc.

So I check them whenever a situation make sense. But I don’t think very many people take a look at that when they’re having a problem that’s related.