i have a standard 1986 RX7 GTX (auto) that im convertin to manual im jus wonderin if its worth lightening the flywheel b4 its put in. if so how light should i go??? also does it make much of a difference and are there any engine issues etc that can be caused by it?????

thanx karl

 

I assume you mean buying a lighter flywheel, not lightening the stock one. If you plan to spend much time in traffic, get a 15lb flywheel, otherwise a 10lb one is sweet. It makes a very noticeable difference and is worth the money. There aren’t any significant downsides; it just takes a few drives to adjust your driving style to suit.

 

can u just lathe the standard one thinner??? that wat the guy did whom i bought my mini flywheel which was lightened. also wat r they made out of is it possible to lighten by machining or is it a material that cant be machined??

thanx karl (ps ne idea of how many kg's were metric in new zealand)

 

for street use go for the light steel one. mine is 17 lbs

 

You can lighten the factory flywheel its just not safe or economical to do so. If you look at it you will notice its larger on one side that the other. That is the counter balancer to match the one in the front cover of the engine. Try these companies. I think Mazdatrix has a writeup on there site about the flywheels.

www.racingbeat.com
www.mazdatrix.com

 

i had a 9.5 Ib pulley on my car with a centerforce clutch...pita to drive everyday but i felt a difference...the 17Ib i have now feels nice bc its more streetable and i was told lightenening more then 12Ib isn't good for your engine, dont know if thats true but thats what i was told because it off balances it and makes it easy to over rev or some crap...research that theory first..i dont remember what the theory is...

 

The standard cast iron flywheel cannot have much taken off it without making it dangerously weak, plus there's the balance issue. Steel flywheels can be made much lighter and are still stronger. Most places selling flywheels in NZ still refer to them in pounds, but a 10lb one is 4.5kg, a 15lb one is 6.8kg.

 

k so do no of nay places in chch or new zealand that i could get a steely flywheel. u see im gettin a 5psd put in my auto rx7 so while its out i thought i might get a lightened flywheel and mayb a beta clutch?? are these owrth it or should i jus get standard one?? do they have a reputation for eating clutches etc??

thanx karl

 

I got the RB aluminum one for my FC, 11 LB I think...it's very very livable every day, I dont even notice it unless I have to get the car moving on a big incline (like that ever happens anyway). The car responds, downshifts, upshifts and revs with MUCH more authority...the only downside is that, like every other quality power mod for the NA, you quickly get used to the added fun and simply want more!! T2 motor is next on the power list...

 

what do you mean by adjust your driving style?
i'm also considering RBflywheel with ACTstreet clutch conversion.

dais "we meet again "
90gtus

 

NZConvertible is right, it does take a couple of days to get used to the new feel of the clutch pick up...it isn't so much about launching from a dead stop than it is shifting smoothly...the clutch (especially an upgrade like my Centerforce dual friction or an ACT which is grabby) and flywheel are much more responsive to pressure changes. The quicker movement can make you bog a shift, most often the slower ones at first until your feet get used to the pickup again...after a couple of days I didnt even notice the flywheel in that sense any more. It does Rev like a bike now though, gotta love it!!!

 

so you're talking about getting used to the clutch, not the flywheel?

dais
90gtus

 

Dunno about Christchurch, try asking the rotary workshops where they get flywheels. Precision Engineering in Auckland supplies a lot of them up here.

 

Nothing major, you just need to adjust the timing of your clutchwork between gears because the revs fall faster when you declutch, and you need a few more revs to move away smoothly form a stop. Toy pick it up quickly.
I installed a 10lb steel flywheel, heavier pressure plate and paddle clutch on my last car, and that combo took a few days to get used to! Stalling at traffic lights is sooo embarrassing...

 

what kind of clutch do you have again?
i'm thinking about getting the ACT streetdisc with extreme pressure plate. what do you think about?

dais
90gtus

 

k do u no how much they are in auck for a 10lb one??? also wat clutch do u reccomend?? i think that seeming im gettin an new clutch neway i might as well get a nice one so i get the power to the ground And also its a turbo as well does the flywheel help it to come on boost earlier???

thanx karl