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Is a light weight flywheel a good idea

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Old Nov 1, 2004 | 11:54 PM
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Is a light weight flywheel a good idea

I want to buy a light weight flywheel for my 90 turbo engine. i was just woundering if its a good idea to put some money into
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 12:00 AM
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A: Covered many times.

B: It all depends on you. Some people say it decreases the streetability of your car some, some say it's hard to drive... bla bla bla. I would put money into other things first such as safety mods, then think about a lightened flywheel.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 12:05 AM
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thanks that a good idea
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 12:28 AM
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BEST... MOD... EVAR!!! although I can't speak from rotary experience(yet) I did have one on my Prelude and it made the car a whole different beast. revs quicker, revs drop faster between shifts so you can shift smoother faster, the only drawback I could see is just getting used to having to give it a little more gas on the take off. It was like learning to drive a new clutch. Just took a few whoops.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 12:40 AM
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Originally Posted by FDreaming
BEST... MOD... EVAR!!! although I can't speak from rotary experience(yet) I did have one on my Prelude and it made the car a whole different beast. revs quicker, revs drop faster between shifts so you can shift smoother faster, the only drawback I could see is just getting used to having to give it a little more gas on the take off. It was like learning to drive a new clutch. Just took a few whoops.
And then his engine blows from detonation from the money he could of used to get reliability mods.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 01:27 AM
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with a lightwieght flywheel you are trading torque(take off power) for horsepower (acceleration/top end power). it is all what you prefer, i prefer to have torque and work with an engine to release the power from within rather than try to hack it out of it.



you can shave a stock flywheel to reduce wieght yet still have a good balance of torque and acceleration.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 01:37 AM
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I'd say keep it stock, the rx7 has a rather light flywheel compared to other cars as is. I hate the heavy flywheel in my friend's focus where the engine has noticible momentum between shifts. It'd be more worthwhile to replace the clutch in my opinion; People don't realize how much can be made up for with good shifting and a non-slipping clutch.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 01:47 AM
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maybe you haven't pulled a Turbo flywheel, they are 'quite' heavy. not as bad as some i have pulled from vehicles but for the size of the car it is about as heavy as i would like it, and why i said you can mill them some but i do prefer a car to have torque.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 01:58 AM
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the TII flywheel is heavier then a zetech flywheel by far! heavier just means your low end is dead until your engine momentum overcomes the weight, the weight is there to keep the rpm dip between shifts from becoming too drastic and stepping ou out of your powerband. a 12lb flywheel is good for street as long as you live a bit higher in the powerband. takes off will be faster as the lighter flywheel means less mas for the enign to have to spin up, quicker off the line but faster to slow down.. trade off but worth it in my opinion, I use the Findanza alu fly with my RE.. works like a charm just need to match the clutch to it and our needs.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 08:27 AM
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Sounds good. Thanks
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by locketine
I'd say keep it stock, the rx7 has a rather light flywheel compared to other cars as is. I hate the heavy flywheel in my friend's focus where the engine has noticible momentum between shifts. It'd be more worthwhile to replace the clutch in my opinion; People don't realize how much can be made up for with good shifting and a non-slipping clutch.
Um no. Both the NA FC's and Turbo II's have very very heavy flywheels...this is what gives the car a rather "rubbery" feeling powerband. For a low torque motor like an NA FC, an aluminum flywheel is the best mod for acceleration after a full exhaust. The streetability of it is totally dependant on the clutch you use IMHO. I ran a racing beat aluminum flywheel and centerforce dual friction clutch when my NA motor was in the car. I decided to keep those parts when I had the TII swap done since the it was a nice streetable combo.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 09:44 AM
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I want to get all the power i can out if the engine. I have full racing exhaust and a hks blow off valve. I just want to put more mods on the car.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 10:39 AM
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GZ91Rx7 has one on his TII, and it doesn't effect the streetability of the car one bit.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 11:05 AM
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I just swaped a light steel RB flywheel into my FC. I think that as it is the steel and not the aluminum, it is still relatively streetable...but I personally would not go any lighter than the steel. It really wakes up the engine in my opinion, and was well worth the money and effort. The car is much more fun to drive now.
-a
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 11:59 AM
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I have an ACT 6-puck clutch and an 8.5 pound flywheel. Once you get used to it, its not bad at all to drive. (And it keeps girls from wanting to drive it)
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 01:55 PM
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For streetability, the stock flywheel will help with the following low speed (traffic) scenarios:

- Shift to 2nd @ 0800 rpms without stalling (low speed acceleartion)
- Shift to 3rd @ 20 MPH without stalling (low speed acceleration)
- Deceleartion (engine brake) to 1500 rpms without bucking
- 1st gear deceleartion (engine brake) without INSTANTLY Stalling
- 1 - 5MPH driving (ie blipping the clutch to nudge foward in traffic)
- 1000-2500 rpm driving "low speed & clutch engaged"
- lowspeed 90 degree corners in 2nd (not shifting to first to prevent stalling)

The heavier clutch may also help cut down on differential knock when tapping the throttle at low rpm - high gear driving.

For wide powerband, the heavier flywheel will help with:

- Torque @ 800 rpms in 2nd gear
- High RPM deceleration to 1000 rpms (engien brake)
- ANY deceleartion in 1st gear (without bucking)
- That "get up & go" feeling when redlining 1st gear from 1200-8500 rpms.

Last edited by vaughnc; Nov 2, 2004 at 02:02 PM.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 02:49 PM
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After owning one myself I'm pretty conviced the loss of torque myth was decided on the butt dyno. Granted you lose that "umph" feeling of getting pushed back into the seat, but there aren't many rotaries that REALLY push you back. For example I drive a 35' Deisel truck at work. If we put 30,000pounds on the back and I drive it up a hill It will throw you in the seat with the torque she is putting out. My little 7 has never really thrown me back, but it certainly accelerates ALOT faster than the truck. So the low RPM torque everyone thinks they are loosing is probably just butt dyno because the engine isn't wasting torque trying to spin the weight. When I put one in my prelude I was getting faster 60' times, no tires change, and before I put the flywheel in the clutch wasn't slipping. It didn't slip when I ran a 2.1 60' time either I was consistantly hitting 2.25s with the stock wheel swapped flys and got into the 2.19 teritory over and over again. If anything is a good inticator of more torque available that is it.

None of the myths were true, she putted along at freeway speeds just fine. My gas mileage didn't change a bit.

Like I said before my throttle was a little touchier, but livable for sure and I had a 7.5lb unit.
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 05:17 PM
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I have a 12# flywheel. the engine acelerates faster, then engine feel more nimble. The only downside that I have noticed or disliked is the bucking when steping of the acelerator. I had to learn to use the clutch more.

Otherwise I like it.



GIL
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Old Nov 2, 2004 | 05:25 PM
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Well I installed a lightwieght flywheel in my N/A when I did my 5 speed swap. Was a pain at first. Then I got used to it. Does suck right off the line but more than makes up for it at high end. And it makes speed shifting much easier and quicker.
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