[Pete R]

If I get my flywheel for the XE lightened and balanced, if I take it to a machine shop how much should I ask for to be removed etc etc

any gen?

cheers

 

[DarrenH]

if its a flat type i wouldnt go much lower than 5ki's so loosing about 2.

 

[Pete R]

flat type? ok gen me here dude

 

[DarrenH]

you must have heard of pot flywheel and early flat flywheel ?

 

[Pete R]

I kinda knew something about there being 2 different types but thats it... the flywheel im getting is out of a G reg GTE .. any gen?

 

[DarrenH]

yeah flat then

 

[tomstickland]

Find a place experienced in doing flywheel lightening. For abour £40 they'll do it all for you.

 

[ally astra]

where you recommend?

 

[jonix]

0ddball> why do you recommend going no lower than 5Kg? For integrity of the wheel or another reason?

 

[Gary]

the early flywheels weigh about 7kg - you cannot safely remove much more than 1-1.5kg really.

I'd recommend basset down balancing, via South Cerney Engineering (subcontracted)

 

[Jamie_F]

mine early flat style fly is down to 4.6kgs, no worries here

 

[jonix]

I take it that flywheels designed to be light from the start (of the likes that SBD supply) are safe? Are there disadvantages to lightening a flywheel?

 

[Gary]

bloody ell Jamie - that's an awful lot of metal removed, considering it's cast iron, and being revved to 8k - your passengers got their ankles insured ?

 

[Jamie_F]

lmao i bought like it but its been properly balanced, its been on the car for over a year and its fine

 

[Gary]

properely balanced doesn't impart mythical strengthening properties though - likewise for 'it's been fine for x amount of weeks' - a little like saying an F20 will carry on being fine on an LET.

flywheels develop microcracks on the friction surface over time - they can and do shatter, not necessarily straight away at all.

seriously - get a steel one on there, they're not expensive - it's not worth risking the amount of utterhorribleness a flywheel at 8k rpm can do when it breaks up imo :beer:

 

[Pete R]

cheers for the gen chaps

 

[Aamir]

Been told that lightening a flywheel allows the engine to rev up quicker,
but at the cost of torque, so not recommended on 16v engines.

Also car will wheel spin a lot easier,

but don't quote me on it !

 

[Mark T]

Torque is not affected (Stored energy in the flywheel will be)

It will stall easier as well as revving up quicker (with no load, and driving less so as the gear ratio decreases)

Idle can become lumpy, especially if you have wild cams already.

 

[jonix]

So is the only advantage to a lighter flywheel the fact that it will rev up more quickly?

 

[ally astra]

yeah about right that