Well, now I have a real problem. I forgot to remove the wrench I used to lock the flywheel before starting the motor. You can guess what happened. Biggest automotive mistake I've ever made...

 

Okay, now that you mentioned the *dished* washer again... There is only the bolt and a large flat washer about 3/8" thick. No dished washer. In any case, per my latest post, I'm officially screwed. I forgot to remove the 13mm wrench I used to lock up the flywheel before starting the motor back up. Totally spaced the bell housing cover still laying on the garage floor when I was putting everything back together, which would have alerted me to the wrench still in there. You can guess what happened...

 

Clarified! Not the end of the world. When you get a moment remove the crank sensor, check it for scars. If none keep it out for awhile. How far did the tab bending go up the flywheel? You could get really lucky if you haven't broken any tabs by taking a pair of needle nose vise grips (small) and ever so gently twisting the tabs back straight......? Might need a little tamping down of the steel ring to get them to sit flat.

 

I wasn't sure but thought it looked like the notches might be for a sensor. Where's the wrench??

 

It may seem like the end of the world but just hang in there and dont give up; you're doing fine -everyone makes mistakes. I'll tell you one of mine. It's been over 20 years now, but I had a '72 240z that I was trying to sync the dual side draft carbs on. Anyway, you have to sync them at 2500 rpm as one part of the process. I was parked in front of my mother in laws guest house/garage when I brain farted and took my foot off the clutch as I was getting out of the car to adjust the carbs under the hood. Needless to say the car was in gear and was already manually set at 2500 rpm. The car shot through the exterior wall of the guest bedroom under a window and up to the windshield on the z-car. No one was in the room luckily. I just kind of laugh about it now...

 

I'll pull the crank sensor first thing in the morning. The tabs aren't broken off but are bent pretty far, and about 1/3 of the flywheel is affected. The damage goes up about halfway into the housing, so it's impossible to get to all the tabs that are bent without somehow rotating the flywheel to get them to the bottom... and the steel ring is bent where it meets each tab.

 

The wrench fell on the ground after it was knocked loose, but not before damaging about 1/3 of the tabs. I started the motor, heard nothing but grinding metal, the wrench hit the ground, and my heart sunk... Good times!

 

That was just epic, thanks for sharing! Glad no one was hurt!

 

Looking closer with a flashlight, it doesn't appear that any of the tabs are broken. Most of the bending is at the ring where it meets each tab, as much as 80 degrees on some of them. Looks like the major repair (if possible) will be trying to flatten the ring, and that will "right" the tabs for the most part.

 

Well, hang in there, you've got buddies out here willing to offer as much back up as possible. Worse comes to worse you'll need another flywheel, I think it's a given actually but I'd bet your game enough to pull off a miracle with this little problem.