stock flywheels are over-heavy (as I said before) meaning a lighter one can make sense. An overly-lighted one could of course lead to the problems described by wackyracer.
I have a lightwheight (steel) flywheel, but haven't been using the car since installing it.

 

Ok ppl. Original question was the flywheel and counterweight weigh about just as much as a stock flywheel. But since the mass is more in the center its better, I understand that now. I already bought the lightweight STEEL flywheel from Racing Beat.

It seems like there are 2 very distingushed sides in here for or against them. I dont like the idea that I wont stay going the same speed going up hills. But I do like the idea of quicker accel. At the same time of installation, I'm putting in a SPEC stage 3, 6-puck clutch, RB header, RB presilencer and already have RB muffler. Removing air pump when removing the cat. I'll post the results.

 

Please let us know how you like it. Should be great off the line though.

 

I think light flywheels are over rated (but i need to try one for myself). We already lack torque off the line (this is talking from a stop and go perspective on the street) and with a light flywheel it get worse with feathering the clutch.

I use to own a borg a beck double disc clutch the heavy model back in the late 1989 (now discontinued - only light is available) and let me tell you theres nothing like stepping on the gas and getting pinned in your seat. The car had a 13b streetport with mikuni carb 225hp, custom dual exhaust, and everything that wasn't needed was removed to lighten the car up. I really enjoyed the car immensely.

 

heavy flywheel is for drag racing.

 

Dont knock it till you try it.

 

knock! knock!
I did for years until I got sick of tired of it. So now I use a 23 lbs flywheel.

 

Sick and tired of what? Be specific and inform us why, don't just say its for drag racing and then say I got sick and tired of it. What model? Was it because the clutch engaged hard or your feet at the end of the drive got tired. I could say I got sick and tired of driving a rotary with an aluminum or light flywheel because I have to slip the clutch all the time. Not flaming just like people to give more info to help others out.

Like I said I only tried the heavy flywheel borg and beck model and that thing was insane in helping my car get off the line and I wasn't drag racing. Daily driver, going around corners it just seemed like a beast, but anyways in order for me to really compare I would need to try a light flywheel...

...not an aluminum though.

 

The effect on acceleration will be less and less with every gear change, but in 1st gear the light flywheel will have the same effect as dropping between 100-150 lbs from your car (depending on your gear ratio), 2nd will be just under 100lbs, 3rd around 40lbs IIRC, and 4th + 5th it's not worth mentioning.

 

Wow, 100-150lbs drop is nice in first gear quick acceleration, are you comparing this with a stock factory flywheel.

 

yes, but these are just rough approximations as it is difficult to tell you precisely without knowing the moment of inertia for the said flywheels, the manufacturers tell us the mass of the thing but thats not exactly what we need to know.

 

85 GSL and 75 RX-3= both equipped with 13-B streetport, modified IDA.

using aluminum flywheel, at the track, i cant launch it at low RPM without bogging out since aluminum flywheel requires higher RPM. Therefore, I get massive tire spin out at the line.

Now for street driving, a few years ago, I had to drive another 15 miles on the freeway to go to school. If you’re familiar with the LA traffic system, it’s a PITA. The 15 miles can take more than 30 minutes drive due to gridlocks. I hated that drive since it requires constant downshifting. Once the RPM falls below 1K, the car jerks.

So I switched to a heavier flywheel say, 2 yrs ago, and at the same time, decided not to use any of the RX for daily driving.

 

i couldnt agree with you more

 

I've tried them both numerous times. Heavy is best for off line. Light for high rpms. Has anyone mentioned how light Al flywheels can fracture more easily & tear up the works?

 

I'm sorry my information was wrong I thought it was Borg and Beck but its actually a Titlon setup. I don't know why I thought it was borg and beck.

Racing beat doesn't carry it, who I bought it from many years ago, but mazdatrix does looky here.

Also I had the opposite problem with this setup as soon as the clutch engaged you lauched hard, but I liked it.

 

I like heavy clutches but nothing more than 3500 lbs-anything above that is a pain on a stop-and- go traffic which will result to a larger left leg after several years or so. I use 6-puck on the FB and 4-puck on the RX-3.

 

I have a 35 lb billet steel flywheel... In my 4x4, lol. It made a huge difference in that simply because I can put it in 4 Low, and let it idle up and over stuff that used to bog it down and kill it. I would say that if making it heaver makes that big of a difference, that a lighter one should do about the same thing and make a difference too.

~T.J.