Hey all,

My buddy gave me a lightweight aluminum flywheel a while back and tells me it's a Racing Beat N/A flywheel, but, and i don't know much about these mind you, from what i can tell it looks absolutely nothing like an N/A flywheel. There's no studs for the pressure plate for one, and secondly (And the thing I'm most worried about) There's no "steps" or "legs" coming up where each of the bolt holes are, leaving me with over a half inch gap inbetween bolt surfaces when the pressure plate is laid on top of the flywheel. Is this the wrong flywheel, or is this gap just due to the clamping force this pressure plate puts out? Every clutch I've dealt with, albeit used worn out clutches, had the pressure plate sitting flat. I can take a picture of the gap I'm talking about if need be, but maybe i won't need to; Maybe just a picture of the flywheel will be enough. All the bolt holes line up, so there's that. Anyways, here's the pic. I just need to know if it's for a T2 or an N/A. Thanks in advance:

 

measure it to see if it is for a TII or an N/A.

 

I came up with 215mm last night at the outside of the clutch surface, I guess that's close to 225 lol. Maybe I didn't measure from the right place though, I'll try again when I get home tonight.

 

well 215 is N/A and 225 is TII.

 

Oh. Well there we go I guess. Thanks!

 

No it's not. 215 is old school. 225 is 83-92 NA. 235/240 is T2.

What the OP has there is an original 215mm light steel that looks like an RB. It is 215mm only as the friction surface can't support a 225mm disc. If you tried a 225mm, it would have a 5mm lip all the way around contacting aluminum. That might get interesting. You could try it, but I wouldn't. Also there are no clearancing pockets to allow the 225mm pressure plate rivets to nestle down where they go. Look at any aluminum RB flywheel pictures on their website to see the rivits clearance pockets (or whatever they're called).

The last hurdle for a flywheel like this are the pressure plate bolts. RB doesn't sell the short through bolts anymore as far as I know. However you could get the 225mm bolt set and place the aluminum spacers on the back side of the flywheel (technically front side if you pay attention to the flywheel orientation once installed, it faces forward). I know the 225mm flywheels have a circular machined depression there which fits the little aluminum spacers perfectly thus allowing the user to use an old school 215mm pressure plate on the modern aluminum flywheels. I installed one of the old school 215mm aluminum flywheels in somethng last year and never looked specifically for the circular "depressions" as I already possed the correct short 215mm bolt kit. I'd assume they're there, knowing RB. But you better check.

Show us a pic of the other side of the flywheel, ok?

 

Sorry for the delay;



And then my S4 N/A FC exedy stage 2 clutch laying on it, I'm guessing the flywheel isn't meant for an S4?

 

It's a turbo flywheel. If it were NA it would have either 1) raised mounting pads and bolt holes about 1/4" above the friction surface, or 2) a series of spacers etc. to raise the pressure plate off the flywheel.

Turbo pressure plates mount directly to the flywheel. Yours is flat and you have no spacers, thus it is a turbo flywheel.

(This ignores the possibility that it's an NA flywheel that's supposed to have spacers, but you've lost them or something).

 

No you're wrong. I already stated it's a 215mm early RB flywheel, because that's what it is. I installed one on a guy's car a few months ago. Did you read the part where he mentioned it's got a 215mm friction surface? Its not a turbo flywheel as those have three alignment dowels. This one obviously never had them. This one also never had spacers as those are only needed on 225mm NA pressure plates, which this flywheel is not set up to use. Thus no spacers.

To the OP, thanks for posting a pic of the other side. I think if you purchased a modern set of 225mm bolts and placed the spacers on the other side, and used a common 215mm pressure plate, it could work, Just make sure the bolts don't hit the engine (tension bolts or the edge of the rear iron or whatever). If you have to, you might chop the bolts to eliminate the need of the spacers. Does that make sense? Just make sure the unthreaded part of the two alignment bolts isn't so long that is prevents your nuts from threading on all the way.

Actually, perhaps a turbo set of bolts would work here? Maybe RotaryResurrection had the answer but didn't ask it? He did bring up turbo after all...

Ok, after looking at some pics, this 86 - 95 Turbo & RX-8 set of aluminum flywheel hardware does look correct!

Get these!
Cart Price Check Part:95193

 

If I am wrong I apologize..I am getting older.(**** happens!)

 

If it came with no spacers and it is a flat plane flywheel it can not be used with an NA clutch, simple as that. The NA clutches are designed to have a large disrepancy between the friction surface and the mounting pads of at least 1/4" (but more, I believe). I stand by that statement even though I had not read the whole thread when I replied last time. I can demonstrate with pics and measurements of stock flywheels if necessary.

If you force an NA pressure plate onto a flat plane flywheel with no spacers, it will never disengage the clutch no matter what you do.

Now that I look at the first pic on a bigger monitor, it looks like there could be a raised lip around the circumference. If the mounting surface is raised above the friction surface, then it is an NA flywheel. I did not originally see that when I was looking at the pics on a smaller screen yesterday.

 

So what do you say, OP? Will you use your 215mm flywheel? There's probably some 1st gen guys who might want it.

 

Can i rig up my 87 N/A pressure plate with it, or do i need to get a 215mm clutch kit to use the flywheel on my tranny setup? If I can't use it with the clutch kit i just bought, i don't need it. I'm guessing even if i rigged it up it'd never be as good as if i just bought the correct flywheel, so i may just get rid of it. Thanks for the help, i knew something was off when he told me it'd bolt right up and yet so obviously wouldn't.