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Matt

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Posts: 485

Light Flywheels - 2006/02/23 09:48 Now that i've expierienced the difference, I'll make a quick post about what I've expierienced going from an 18 lb flywheel, to an 11.9 lb one.

I did a lot more to lighten the drive line than just the flywheel, but in some places it's pretty easy to tell what it's effects are

Free spinning revs arn't noticibly faster. The engine revved really fast anyway.

acceleration is definitly faster, not blown away faster, but significantly and noticibly better, This is true even in the higher gears, thoulgh less noticibly.

Idle is shot. I'll have to recalibrate a few things to get the engine from stalling on deceleration.

Starting from a stop takes a little more finess, and a little more slipping. It's not impossible. the feel is simmilar to putting in a heavily sprung presure-plate.

Shifts are much smoother. (the lightenend propshaft helps with this too) No more rear diff wham, even on the hardest drops.

Overall I'd say it's worth it, except for the pain in the butt with idle, but that's temporary.

Light flywheel= good.

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Matt

Admin

Posts: 485

Re:Light Flywheels - 2006/05/03 07:46 I'd forgotten to add to this that I've made tons of other modifications and it's tough to determine exactly where the flywheel factors in. Rotating mass has been reduced from the weight of the wheels to the prop-shaft. Acceleration improvments were also made such as a better turbo, and variable cam timing.

The bottom line is that lightening the flywheel didn't have the scarry sideeffects that I was warned about, or atleast the side effects wern't so bad that I would take out the flywheel. Remember, this is a racing application, but the car is still, by my standards, very drivable.

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USM Ty Ty

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Groupie

Posts: 221

Re:Light Flywheels - 2006/05/03 09:39 Neat.

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Ghostrider
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Fan

Posts: 1

Re:Light Flywheels - 2006/12/23 07:19 Hey Matt,

what did you do to adjust your idle. Apparently the car I have has a lightened fly wheel and its idle is no good it will not idle when cold on start up?

Thanks

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Matt

Admin

Posts: 485

Re:Light Flywheels - 2006/12/27 06:22 I have a slight advantage with my cars in adjusting my idle. The Autronic stand alone ECU has a pretty sophisticated system for idle, and I can adjust it through my laptop.

All is not lost however! I'm assuming you are driving a car with a cable throtle, and not a new STI with a fly by wire system. You can pretty easily adjust your throttle with the idle set screw on the throtle body. There is a teeny screw that holds the throttle open a teeny bit. The screw is somewhere around where the throttle cable comes to the throttle body ( let me know if I should post pictures). You can tighten this screw a little to keep the throttle open a little more, which has the down side of raising your idle, but on the bright side might keep the car from stalling. To tighten the set screw you'll also need somthing to move the little locking bolt that keeps the set screw from moving. If you need to back the set screw out, make sure you dont back it out so far it falls into your engine bay. I accidently did that once with a motorcycle, and it was a real pain in the ass.

If this seems tough, get help from a mechanic.

Btw, there are some otehr issues that can lead to a rough idle, so make sure your check engine light isn't on.

Ideally your idle should be set so that the car doesn't stall A: when it's just running, B: when in neutral, if you rev her, and let take your foot off the gas, it shouldn't stall either.

Ok, ok, one more thing I've learned the hard way, bad speedo sensors, and clogged fuel filters can also concievably cause rough idle.

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Bill

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Junior Fan

Posts: 20

Re:Light Flywheels - 2007/01/31 15:01 Something to think about: A light flywheel and drivetrain are great for Mid-to-High traction surfaces. I would suggest for Mid-to-Low traction a heavy flywheel with light drivetrain. For Low-to-Snow/Ice surfaces try a heavy flywheel with stock drivetrain.

I have tested this on a smaller scale and it has always worked for me, with great results.

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Matt

Admin

Posts: 485

Re:Light Flywheels - 2007/02/01 06:07 Good point. But I think What you're really getting at is how to minimize wheel spin. A heavier flywheel is a good way to slow the reving of the engine, and thereby reduce the spinning of the wheels on the slippery surface. On a grippy surface the engine can rev faster, and the wheels won't slip. therefore all then engine's power that would have gone into turning the flywheel, will instead go into accelerating the car. Why is it better to not spin the wheels? I'l make a sperate post on types of friction.

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Bill

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Junior Fan

Posts: 20

Re:Light Flywheels - 2007/02/01 10:09 Your completely correct about a light flywheel in regards for High Revs but, for more torque and smoother idle use a heavier flywheel; for improved top speed and throttle response use a lighter flywheel.

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