Tom's Light Weight Flywheel?

[Oli]

I'm old keeping the car for another yr do you think it's worth spending £400 on a lighten flywheel?

[jerry phipps]

Hey why not. It all adds to more power at the end of the day. What's £400 to spend if it's going to add to the fun ah? Fitting that mod should make the car rev more easier

jerry!!

[yaristpot]

Down point is I believe the car will strugle going up hills.... im sure someone will have had experance of a lightened fly wheel...........

Dan

[TheNissanMan]

Scott's flywheel has been machined so much lighter but no engine to test it with lol....

Cost I believe was approximately £30 :D :D LD

The car will rev easier, but also lose rev's quicker so although it gives you more power you'll find your driving style changing to keep the rev's up...

Am sure Scot will notice this post and add a proper description...

[Mevi]

I was thinking of posting on this topic too. A light fly wheel will completely change the way the car revs... quick to rise and fall so... will that mean a very jerky drive with lots of engine braking? I'd have to learn to drive it all over again - bunny hopping like a learner.

(you should have seen me in the hire truck when I moved 3 weeks ago - lurching down the road like a rookie!! )

One for the brave perhaps - keep on the power in the corners or else stuff it in a ditch!! he he.

[Oli]

I was thinking of posting on this topic too. A light fly wheel will completely change the way the car revs... quick to rise and fall so... will that mean a very jerky drive with lots of engine braking? I'd have to learn to drive it all over again - bunny hopping like a learner.

i would of thought it would be the other way round?? I DON'T KNOW THOUGH?

[Mevi]

As I understand it, the fly wheel keeps the revs up and the engine going when you take your foot off the gas. With a lighter flywheel, I'm guessing it would be just the cars inertia keeping the engine going - the revs would drop sharply rather than slow down smoothly.

This is just how I imagine it in my head - I'm no mechanic - the throttle would be very sensitive, like driving in 1st gear you'd have to be delicate to keep the revs steady.

I can see there's a benefit in having a lighter flywheel as the engine isn't working as hard to spin the thing up from a standing start - perhaps there's less need to rev the nuts off it before dumping the clutch.

How would this affect the engine idle though?

I do like the idea of having that race-style 'whhap- whhap' throttle response than the 'vrooooom-vroooom' one I have now. (how else can you describe sound effects in words?)

[Fidgits]

Fly-wheels work under Newtons Law... basically they spin as you accelerate, when you take your foot off the accelerator, then it begins to decrease in rotational speed, this decrease is proportional to it's weight...

If you reduce the weight, then getting the flywheel up to speed will be easier (and hence the engine will rev faster), but the decrease in weight also means, less mass, and therefore a sharper decrease is speed...

[knowlson]

I do like the idea of having that race-style 'whhap- whhap' throttle response than the 'vrooooom-vroooom' one I have now. (how else can you describe sound effects in words?)

Does the fly wheel make that 'whhap- whhap' sound then? Sorry so sound stupid but im not that much of a car techie if so ill buy one

[zee007]

OK - Lightweight Flywheels:

First, the downsides:

1) The engine is easier to stall, no question about it (revs drop faster). You may be utilising a little more clutch slippage to start off in first gear, but that is not a huge issue.

2) After installation, you will notice that the engine RPM's dip a bit lower when letting off the clutch. The engine should never actually stall, but the RPM's dip and raise several times when approaching a traffic light (while in neutral, of course). However, this is a SMALL issue. When the car is stopped at a light, though, it should idle just fine.

3) You may pick up a SLIGHT increase in overall vibration from the engine, but very minor.

4) There is probably less resistance to overheating the clutch, since there is a lot less mass to absorb the heat generated.

5) A good lightweight flywheel is expensive - be prepared to pay a decent amount to fit too.

Now, for the UPSIDES!

1) The car will pull noticeably harder, particularly in low gears. This is an immediate and obvious increase.

2) The gear changes. With the stock flywheel, you feel like you had to wait way too long in between upshifts in order to let the engine RPM's drop enough to match the speed of the tranny. That problem will disappear. The RPM's drop off much faster now, and the whole feel of driving the car will change dramatically.

3) There is less weight over the front wheels, but you won't notice any difference in daily driving. It may be noticeable on a track, though.

4) Starting the engine is easier than it was. It's obvious that the starter has less work to do on accelerating the engine than it did. The difference is more dramatic in warm weather than cold, though, probably due to increased oil viscosity playing a larger role.

In short, this modification will change the car's feel into more of a "sports" car. The flywheel's effect is probably more of a personal feel than a documentable statistic.

[Matthew_McNally]

and of course - Gold Members can get TOMS (and TRD and L - Tuned) parts at cost price from one of the discounting companies ;)

[Oli]

thanks for all the feedback... I can't ask for more than that..

I'll have too look into the cost price.. Could be a nice saving over £300 + VAT.

[Oli]

zee007...

thanks for all the above points. would the drop off speed up hill's be large?

that's my main concern..

[zee007]

zee007...

thanks for all the above points. would the drop off speed up hill's be large?

that's my main concern..

Hi Oli,

The drop in speed uphills is certainly not considerable enough to warrant worrying about it. Yes there will be a decrease (potentially noticable) but not so much so that it should deter you from purchasing one.

Hope that helps pal, and let us know what you go for if you decide to get one!

Zee. :)

[Oli]

i think i'm going to get one.

Thanks for the top advice!!!