Is a lightweight flywheel worth it?

[adamrs80]

I have a 61x square with a limited b-pipe, MSD enhancer, and an R&D rec. head. Just trying to figure out if it is worth buying a lightweight flywheel. Are there any drawbacks? I am just looking at the lightened stock ones that have been offered in the for sale section, not jetenitics or anything expensive.

 

[Matt_E]

I personally don't think so.
I have run a lightened stocker back to back against a regular stocker on an otherwise identical setup.
I couldn't feel a difference.

That's just my opinion,though.

 

[SXIPro]

I agree with Matt. I had my RN and SN done at the same time, and there was definitley no seat of the pants improvement on either. Having said that, it was a cheap mod and it was a learning experience since I had never pulled a flywheel off a ski before.

 

[5810]

i didnt notice much diffrence from my tbm, but i did all my mods at once lol. So, a diffrence is possible.

 

[95FX1]

^^ same with me....

cant tell what made the most diff.

cant hurt for 60bux if ya go with #zero.....free return ship and whatnot also!

 

[Matt_E]

cant hurt for 60bux if ya go with #zero.....free return ship and whatnot also!

Well...if ya can't feel a difference, isn't it $60 bux wasted?

 

[Midlake Crisis]

Well...if ya can't feel a difference, isn't it $60 bux wasted?

No way- I did several mods at once, so can't say for sure what effect it has, but it's worth it just 'cause it is such a sano piece!

 

[jvann13]

I could barely tell the deference from stock to a rad flywheel (total not worth the money). A lightened flywheel would be very low on my list of mods.

 

[Matt_E]

No way- I did several mods at once, so can't say for sure what effect it has, but it's worth it just 'cause it is such a sano piece!

Should have spent on a better looking stock head instead. :biggrin:

 

[Midlake Crisis]

Should have spent on a better looking stock head instead. :biggrin:

Ouch! That's messed. .
it actually looks pretty good in person- it has a a fresh coat of Hammerite paint, and is shaved for @ 175 PSI (and uses o-rings).

 

[Matt_E]

I figured it was a bad photo.
If you consider that $60 a "beauty improvement" rather than a performance mod, then it isn't money wasted, is it?

 

[masterblaster]

advance timing plus a a/m fw is good mod but not sure its worth the $ I think the same $ spent on a ign like epic is better money spent,you will notice the timing much more than weight off the fw

 

[adamrs80]

I really appreciate all the input, it made the decision really easy, plus I've pulled and reinstalled flywheels plenty of times and I really was not looking forward to doing it.

Do alot of you guys advance the timing? There is a good local shop here in San Antonio, I might talk to them about it but I guess that would also involve pulling the flywheel yet again.

I'm running the stock reeds. Is there any real power gain on the aftermarket ones? I've read threads about stock vs. aftermarket and always thought that the stock ones worked well and were very durable but if there was a little brap to be gained I might go for it. Otherwise I'm just going to stick with my limited setup and be ride the 440 when I want the SJ to feel faster.

 

[superjetkev]

I'm running the stock reeds. Is there any real power gain on the aftermarket ones? I've read threads about stock vs. aftermarket and always thought that the stock ones worked well and were very durable but if there was a little brap to be gained I might go for it. Otherwise I'm just going to stick with my limited setup and be ride the 440 when I want the SJ to feel faster.[/QUOTE]


i ran stock back to back with vforce 2's and didnt notice a difference..but did notice the 250 bucks they cost! not at all worth it IMO. plus after one season, my buddys vforce's are worn out. they no longer seal. the stock ones in my '01 are still mint. just some food for thought.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I first installed a lightened flywheel in my old SN and never noticed any difference at all, when I got my first RN, I figured a true lightweight aluminum was the way to go to get that feeling everyone talks about and so purchased and installed a TBM charging flywheel. The difference is more noticeable for sure but still very subtle.

I ran the TBM for a month or two and then swapped back to the stock flywheel and advanced my timing 3mm at the same time and the ski hit just as hard. If you are on a budget and looking for bang for the buck, the flywheel should not even be on your radar. Advance your timing 2-3mm and leave it at that.

As mentioned above already, when you get around to wondering about MSD Enhancers and such, that's where spending a little extra will net bigger gains and the EPIC is looking to be the next best mod. MSD Enhancers are a decent upgrade with more spark, slightly better timing and a higher RPM limit but don't offer the gains that the EPIC's programmable timing curves can offer.

 

[kawirydr44]

im running a tbm flywheel and tbm lightweight couplers and i deff felt a difference when adding these.... the flywheel is superrrr expensive like 600 so im not sure if that is worth it but the couplers do basically the same thing and there only 100...

 

[tom21]

someone should mention the purpose of the flywheel to really cover all the ins and outs. (beyond it holding the starter ring and charging components) which also makes the TL flywheel noteworthy. that is a lightened flywheel. lol

 

[ger87410]

I was told the lightened flywheel makes the engine reach top RPMs faster.

Anyone have thoughts on that?

 

[Layne]

I was told the lightened flywheel makes the engine reach top RPMs faster.

Anyone have thoughts on that?

Lightened flywheel will create less rotating mass, and the more rotating mass the more load the engine will have.

An example would be in drag racing I think every pound of rotating mass is worth about 10lbs in the car loaded. So take off 20# of rotating mass and it would be like losing 200# of mass in the car, or 0.2 seconds faster. Or think of an F1 race car, they have so little rotating mass in the engine that they are able to rev from nothing to the 12k rev limiter in the matter of a split second.

 

[tom21]

the flywheel also dampens vibrations, on some types of motors it balances the rotating mass. It gives inertia to the driveline. (gives it some ass)

it will rev a tiny bit quicker with less weight but you also loose a little bit of power on the follow thru.

not bad or good just like everything else its a tradeoff. give a little here to get some there. and for this application its almost impossible to measure the difference. anybody got a dyno?